To Profile Love
by FlightoftheStorm777
Summary: After Prentiss's death, Strauss sees Agent Hotchner as unfit to evaluate his team, so she calls in Victoria Parker, a young counselor to do the job. Victoria didn't expect to become part of this family. Rating may change. Follows key episodes, starting with Season 7. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**_To Profile Love_**

 ** _The New Addition_**

Spencer looked around as Hotch approached the team. "Conference room in five." Hotch announced before entering his office. Spencer glanced at Morgan and JJ.

"New case?" JJ guessed.

"Hopefully. Tired of deskwork." said Morgan.

"I don't think so," said Spencer. "Hotch's tone of voice didn't suggest a grim case. Sounded more like business."

"Okay, sir-know-it-all." said Morgan.

"C'mon," said JJ, smiling. He, JJ and Morgan entered the conference room. Rossi was already sitting at the table, along with Garcia. Prentiss's vacant chair pitifully continued to gather dust. Spencer took his seat and waited patiently for Hotch to enter the conference room.

To his surprise, Hotch didn't enter alone. A young woman followed him. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes and square glasses. She wore a gray pencil skirt and a plum button-down shirt. She held a manila folder. "Team, this is Victoria Parker, from the Office of Victims Assistance. She's a counselor and will be working alongside us. Strauss appointed her after Emily's death to counsel you guys and send reports on our behavior." said Hotch.

"Um… No offense, but why aren't you counseling us, Hotch?" asked Morgan.

"Strauss believes it is not appropriate for me to be your counselor, as I have been affected by this too." said Hotch.

Morgan shrugged. "All right."

"These are agents Rossi, Morgan and JJ. That's Dr. Spencer Reid, and that is Penelope Garcia, our technical analyst. Any questions?" said Hotch.

Victoria shook her head. Spencer glanced at JJ. This woman was quiet, even shy. How was she a counselor? Victoria took Emily's empty seat. "I know this is an awkward and painful situation, and I know having a stranger come in makes it even more difficult for you. I promise I won't be too annoying." Victoria said. Her weak joke hung awkwardly in the air.

"It's good to have another girl on the team." said JJ.

"Thanks." replied Victoria, looking relieved. Spencer didn't shake her hand, but he did offer her a small wave and an awkward smile.

"Let's begin." announced Hotch grimly.

…...

"I don't get why we're doing this." Morgan said.

"The bureau wants it." Victoria replied. "Look, I know this situation is uncomfortable. But I will try and make this as painless as possible… But I can't guarantee that it won't be. I do my job, and I do it well. You can't blame me for that."

Morgan nodded. "Fair enough," he muttered.

"So, you and Emily Prentiss were often partners in the field?" questioned Victoria.

"Yeah, we were." replied Morgan.

"So you two were close?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah."

"Her death must've hit you pretty hard," Victoria guessed. Morgan simply stared at her. She huffed. "But you don't seem too heartbroken."

"Excuse me?" Morgan snapped. "Look, I know how this works. You're going through the stages of grief. And I am heartbroken! I just don't show it. Don't pretend to know me. Don't act like you know how I cope."

Victoria tilted her head. "Ah, you're angry."

"Damn right, I'm angry." Morgan growled.

"I'm not going through the stages of grief, Derek," Victoria said. "I'm just making sure you're okay."

"By saying I'm not heartbroken?" Morgan shot back.

Victoria pressed her lips together into a tight line. "I'm observing how you cope. You're angry. And hurt. But you hide it well. Which means you're strong, and you're trying to protect the rest of your team, which is admirable. But it is okay to not be… well, okay."

Morgan stared at her. "You're trying to figure out if I can still do my job?"

"Yes," Victoria murmured. "But I'm going to be part of this team for a while, so I might as well try and get to know you. You're angry about Emily's death. Talk to me."

Morgan sighed. "Sometimes I wanna quit my job and hunt down the son of a bitch who killed her. But I can't."

"Emily didn't deserve to die the way she did," Victoria sympathized.

"She didn't deserve to die at all." muttered Morgan.

"Right," said Victoria. "But everyone dies. Even if it's sooner than we expect."

Morgan's jaw tightened. "Are we done? You know I'm angry. Why are you provoking it?"

Victoria frowned. "I'm making sure that the littlest thing won't set you off. Derek, I can tell you're hurting a lot. But I can also tell that this job matters to you, and you're smart. I know you don't trust me, either. I'm the outsider, I get it. I'm just trying to help and do my job."

Morgan nodded. "All right. Should I send in Rossi?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Victoria said. Morgan was a tough shell to crack. "Derek?"

Morgan turned. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about Emily. From the little I've heard, she sounded like an incredible woman." Victoria said.

Morgan nodded. "She was." Morgan left the room. Victoria sighed. Her job was never easy.

Rossi entered. "I'm guessing Strauss didn't like Hotch heading these, so he appointed you."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Yes. Agent Hotchner needs a place to go, too."

Rossi sank into the armchair. "Well, I'll tell you what I told Hotch. I don't let people in."

Victoria sighed. "I don't usually either. But at some point, you've got to. Or else you'll have nobody."

"I suppose that's true," Rossi allowed. "You didn't know her, though."

"Yeah, you're right. So why don't you tell me about her?" Victoria countered.

Rossi eyed Victoria so long she began to feel uncomfortable. "It's too soon, Agent Parker. You should know that." he said.

"Her death was a while ago." Victoria argued.

"But your addition to the team was only an hour ago. And even then, you're still an outsider." Rossi replied.

Victoria pursed her lips. "Fine, then. Tell me about you."

"That's not how this works." said Rossi. "I don't trust you."

Victoria worked her jaw irritably. "Look, I'm just doing my job."

"Which is why I don't trust you." said Rossi. He got up. "I'll send in Garcia."

Victoria opened her mouth to protest, but Rossi was already gone. Garcia entered and sat across from Victoria. Garcia didn't say anything. Victoria sighed. "So, let me guess, you don't want to talk, either?" she said.

Garcia's eyes filled with tears. "Not about her being gone," she said. "I don't like change. And Emily's… And now you're here… And it feels like you're replacing her, and it's just too much change, and I don't like admitting she's gone… I'm rambling, sorry."

Victoria blinked. "I'm not replacing her, Penelope. I'm just making sure you're okay."

"I'm as you'd expect. I lost a friend. C-can we not talk about that?" Garcia said.

"What do you want to talk about?" Victoria prompted.

"Can I tell you how Emily made me smile?" Garcia queried.

"Sure," Victoria said, smiling.

…

"I don't know. She seems sincere, but I'm not sure about her." said Morgan.

"She's too focused on completing her job." muttered Rossi.

"Which means she'll send bad reports." Morgan assumed.

"Not necessarily," said Hotch.

"We don't know this woman," said JJ. "We should at least give her a chance."

"Didn't we already do all of this?" Reid muttered.

"Strauss wants it redone by someone outside of the team. I approved of Parker myself." Hotch answered.

"Hey," said Garcia. Her cheeks sparkled with the remnants of shed tears. "She's ready for JJ."

JJ nodded and left the conference room. "How was it?" Morgan asked Garcia.

"She's nice," said Garcia. "I don't like change, but… She's good once she starts talking."

"She didn't seem like she did it because she cared, but because it was her duty." said Rossi.

"Can you blame her? We don't know her." said Hotch.

"Maybe we should at least give her a chance… Or something to report, so she doesn't lose her job." said Garcia.

Reid looked at his hands. He would be nice to Parker. But he knew what she wanted to hear. And so that's what she would get.

…

"How are you coping?" Victoria asked.

"Well, as well as you'd expect. Emily and I became pretty close right before…" JJ trailed off, looking saddened. "And the team isn't too good with outsiders."

Victoria looked down. "Yeah, I've gathered that."

"Just give them time," said JJ. "And maybe… Don't dive right into the grief counseling just yet. We need time to cope with you, too."

Victoria smiled. "Thanks, JJ."

JJ nodded. "Sure." She got up and sent in Hotch.

Hotch sat down and stared at Victoria intensely. "Your team is a hard shell to crack." Victoria said.

Hotch nodded. "They're all feeling it, but nobody wants to talk about it."

Victoria half-smiled. "I know it's too soon. But I have to send something back, or Strauss'll have my ass. Pardon my French."

Hotch's lips twitched. "Pardoned," he said. "They need to trust you before they open up."

"Yeah, that's what Rossi basically told me." Victoria said. She scrunched her lips together. "I'm not going to send a bad report to Strauss. If I don't have sufficient information, I won't send anything at all. So far, you all seem like wonderful people. You've just got walls keeping me out. But right now, I don't think that's a good idea."

Hotch tilted his head. "Why's that?"

"Because my colleagues wouldn't put up with it. If I get booted, then you get Strauss. As I understand it, you requested me. Why?" Victoria said, narrowing her eyes.

"Your reports were well-written. And you spent a lot of time with those you evaluated. I think that's unique. It tells me you care about your patients." said Hotch.

"Oh, I'm not a doctor," said Victoria.

"I know," said Hotch. He checked his watch. "The team needs a reason to trust you before they talk to you, myself included. Some might seem hostile, others might just seem quiet or reserved. I'll send in Reid."

Victoria allowed Hotch to leave. Dr. Reid entered and sat across from Victoria. He glanced at her and waited for her to speak. "So, Dr. Reid… How are you coping?" Victoria asked.

"If you had asked me that a month ago, my answer wouldn't have been good. I kept asking myself, why her? Why couldn't it have been me? If I had figured it out sooner… Maybe I could've saved her… Or Morgan…" Reid trailed off. "But I know that we did everything we could. And I accept that. She's gone. There's nothing that can be done."

Victoria stared at Reid a long time. He stared back. Victoria sighed. "Look, I know that I'm the outsider here. I didn't know Emily and I don't know you. But you don't know me, either. Telling me exactly what I want to hear isn't going to help. It just tells me that you're hurting and you don't want my help. That's fine. But the only person you're really hurting is yourself."

Reid stared at Victoria. "I haven't even told my team how I'm really feeling. Why would I tell you?" There was no spite in his tone, just a slight catch that informed Victoria that Reid truly was hurting.

"Because I'm not going to treat you the way you fear they'll treat you," said Victoria gently.

Spencer averted Victoria's gaze. "They'd baby me."

"There's nothing childish about a man in grief," said Victoria. Reid looked at her. Victoria offered him a small smile. "You don't have to tell me everything now. Or ever, if you don't want to. It's up to you how we treat this. I can help you, or I can just send reports on your behavior. Okay?"

"Okay." Reid replied. Victoria smiled.

"All right, let's go see the rest of the team." she said. She and Reid exited the office and entered the conference room. The team took their seats and stared at Victoria expectantly. "I know this is weird. I'm the outsider. We've established that. I'm part of the team, but not really. This can be done two ways. You guys can tell me what you think you want me to hear or you can actually talk to me and I can help you. Either way, whatever you tell me in our sessions is completely confidential. The only thing I report is whether or not I think you are a functional team. Got it?" Victoria stared at the team intently. They all nodded their understanding. Victoria exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "All right. Thank you."

After a short discussion about scheduling with Hotch, Victoria bade farewell to the BAU team and exited the Quantico headquarters. She climbed in her car and headed home. Once she reached her house, she called a familiar number on her phone.

She waited patiently for him to pick up, her heart racing. "Hello?" His voice sent shivers down her spine.

"Hey, babe," Victoria chirped.

"Tori? How'd it go?" asked her boyfriend.

"Great! Well, the team seems nice, they just don't trust me yet." Victoria replied.

"Well, they'd be stupid not to. Gullible thing like you? How can someone not trust you?"

Victoria bit her lip. "How's work?"

"It's busy. You know not to call me while I'm work."

"I thought you wanted me to, Korey?"

"Just this once. Understand?" Korey snapped.

Victoria's heart sank. "Yeah. Got it."

"Bye. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too."

Victoria hung up. She blinked back a few tears, gathered her stuff, and headed inside her house.

 **…**

 **Hey guys! This story will follow key episodes with the addition of my OC. Right now it's set in between Prentiss's "death" and Seaver's transfer, so right before "It Takes a Village," in Season 7, which will be the next chapter. This will be SpencerxOC, but it is VERY gradual, as I will include Maeve and all that jazz. This is my first Criminal Minds fanfic, so I'm really excited! Criticism is welcome, but make sure it's constructive and not rude. Please fave, follow and review! Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or anything associated with it, just my OCs and any plot elements surrounding them.**


	2. Chapter 2

**_It Takes a Village_**

"Agent Parker, you were assigned to counsel and evaluate this team, correct?" Chairman Cramer stared at Victoria with his cool blue eyes.

Victoria nodded. "That is correct, sir."

"You failed to mention in your reports that this team is prone to mutiny. Why would that be?" snapped Cramer.

Victoria frowned. "They are not mutinous, sir."

"And yet they have completed a rogue mission at the expense of government funds unauthorized, and now two agents are dead." said Cramer.

"The deaths of those two agents are unfortunate, but this team acted quickly." said Victoria.

"You said in your evaluations that the team grieved the loss of Agent Prentiss deeply. And yet you still cleared them for duty?" Cramer growled.

Victoria nodded. "They did not let their grief cloud their judgment."

"Clearly," snapped Cramer, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Their actions have been costly. All for a little revenge for their agent?"

"It wasn't vengeance," Victoria argued. "Agent Morgan sought to continue the job Agent Prentiss had left behind, and that was the protection of a little boy, and to keep a terrorist like Doyle from gaining access to the child."

"Since you brought up Agent Morgan yourself, let's go over your evaluation of him first," said Cramer, flipping through papers. "You said in your report that Agent Morgan was 'angry'. You have quoted by Morgan here that he sometimes wished he could quit his job and hunt down Doyle. Does that not sound vengeful to you?"

"I did report that, yes," said Victoria. "But sir, you might want to check the date on that evaluation. That was after my very first session with Agent Morgan, nearly two months ago."

Cramer glanced at the paper. "Hm," he muttered. He glanced up, his eyes narrowed. "Were you aware that ever since Prentiss's death, Agent Morgan has been hunting down Ian Doyle?"

"I was not until Morgan announced that he had found Declan Doyle." Victoria admitted.

"And yet you were performing his evaluation," said Cramer. "Are you that blind? Or are you biased?"

"I am not biased," said Victoria. "I was evaluating his psychological state, sir. That has nothing to do with his hunt for Doyle."

"Really? It sure seems personal to me." said Cramer.

"I understand why it does," said Victoria. "But Agent Morgan is not rogue. His hunt for Declan was done on his own terms, in his own time. It did not interfere with his work performance or his sessions with me."

"And what was Agent Morgan's psychological state in your latest session?" asked Cramer.

Victoria pressed her lips together to calm her nerves.

 _"_ _Derek, what's up with you?" Victoria asked, seating herself across from Morgan._

 _He shrugged. "It's been better. No more nightmares. I still miss her. A lot."_

 _"_ _You can't expect to never miss her," Victoria said gently. "She was a huge part of your life. She went through hell with you. You can't expect the remembrance of that bond to just disappear. The ache will fade, but I don't think you'll never not miss her, Derek. So, no more nightmares. That's good. And you don't seem so angry anymore."_

 _"_ _I'm not," said Derek. "If I ever came across Doyle…" He clenched his jaw. "I wouldn't shoot him on sight."_

 _Victoria smirked. "It's a start. I have noticed that you're burying yourself in your work."_

 _"_ _Yeah?" said Derek._

 _"_ _It's good to distract yourself, but not to the point of overload. Frankly Derek… You look like shit." said Victoria._

 _Derek chuckled. "I know," he said. His amusement faded. "It helps, though. Every last unsub we get, is another family saved from this pain of losing their loved one. It's another innocent saved."_

 _"_ _But killing yourself with an overload of work isn't going to help you, Derek," said Victoria. "You need to make time for social encounters."_

 _"_ _I got all the social encounters I need," said Derek, grinning. "I talk to a lovely lady for an hour per day, I see Garcia and the team."_

 _Victoria smiled and shook her head. "I mean outside of work. Even if you hang out with one of your colleagues. But go get some coffee. Or see a movie, date someone! Something, Derek. You can't bury yourself in labor."_

 _Derek stared ahead, but Victoria could tell he wasn't really seeing anything. "What if I told you I needed closure?"_

 _"_ _About Emily?" Victoria blinked. "How would you do that?"_

 _"_ _What if… If Doyle were caught, maybe that would bring some kind of closure." said Morgan._

 _"_ _And if Doyle is never caught?" Victoria challenged. "Who would catch him? You?"_

 _Derek looked up. "If I can."_

 _"_ _And what will you do with him if you catch him, Derek?" Victoria retorted. "Vengeance isn't the answer."_

 _"_ _I didn't say anything about vengeance," snapped Derek. "But Emily didn't get justice. It feels… wrong. Empty."_

 _"_ _The bureau would never authorize it. They would view it as too personal. You have to move on by yourself, Derek." said Victoria._

 _Derek sighed. "I know."_

 _"_ _I know you're feeling purposeless," said Victoria. Derek looked at her sharply. Victoria inhaled before continuing. "And it's driving you crazy. You're used to bringing justice to the victims of loss. And now that you're a victim of loss, you want justice for your friend, and for yourself. But there's a thin line between justice and vengeance. When men go looking for blood, they find it. But there's also a strength in letting go, Derek."_

 _"_ _No," said Derek, shaking his head. "There's not. Not for me. I can't just let go of what happened to her, Parker. I can't do that. I won't."_

 _Victoria tilted her head. "Trials and tribulations help form character, Derek."_

 _"_ _And sometimes suffering is just plain ol' suffering." Derek retorted._

 _"_ _Life is made up of… moments. Times. Good times, bad times. Sometimes, good things arise from bad times. You've come a long way, Derek. But you're still focusing on the darkness. I know it isn't easy, but you have to force yourself to find some light in the darkness. If you don't, you'll lose yourself." Victoria said._

 _Derek looked angry for a moment, but it dissolved. "We got JJ back," he admitted. He smirked. "And we got a dorky addition to the team." He grinned at her._

 _Victoria grinned back. "Well, I'm glad to be here."_

Victoria stared up at Chairman Cramer. "Agent Morgan's evaluation details are classified. I can tell you that he was and is a functional team member. He is not rogue, nor will he ever be. His duty is to serve and protect, which he has done since day one."

Cramer huffed. "Let's move on to Agent Jareau."

…

"What do you think they're asking Parker in there? She wasn't really in on the case." said Garcia.

Morgan shrugged. He glanced from Reid to Hotch to JJ to Strauss to Rossi, who inhaled. "She's being questioned on your evaluations." answered Prentiss. She looked awkward, glancing from team member to member, as if she no longer belonged with them.

"In which case, she could be our best friend or our biggest enemy." said Rossi.

…

"Were you aware that Agent Jareau knew of Prentiss's living status?" Cramer demanded.

"I did not," said Victoria.

"And yet you were assessing her." sneered Cramer.

"With all due respect, sir, Agent Jareau was still mourning. Just not the way the others were." said Victoria.

"And what way was that?" snapped Cramer.

 _"_ _JJ, how are you holding up?" Victoria asked._

 _JJ glanced up from her intense stare with the carpet. "Good, I guess."_

 _"_ _You can't lie to me," Victoria teased. "After hanging around all you profilers, I've picked up on a few things."_

 _JJ sighed. "Well, I miss Emily. But I also feel… a little excluded from the team. Like they don't trust me anymore."_

 _"_ _Why wouldn't they trust you?" Victoria asked._

 _JJ's face grew stricken, as if she were catching herself in a lie. "Because I left the team. I'm not the same anymore, you know?"_

 _"_ _Your work at the Pentagon changed you," Victoria guessed._

 _JJ nodded. "Yeah."_

 _"_ _You know that 'guilt is to the spirit what pain is to the body'?" said Victoria._

 _JJ stared at her. "I-I never said I was guilty…"_

 _"_ _You're acting guilt-ridden, though." Victoria argued. "Whatever happened with your time at the Pentagon, you have to let go. You'll only wear yourself down."_

Victoria stared up at Cramer calmly. "Agent Jareau had her secrets, but it was for the protection of a former agent's security, which protected the bureau."

…

"She's been in there forever," said JJ.

"What the hell did she write about us?" Morgan demanded. Reid said nothing. He was suddenly regretting opening up to Victoria so much. What if it got his team suspended?

"I assure you that Parker's reports were thorough, but she would not condemn you." said Strauss quietly.

Reid looked at her. "She… She said good things about us?" Garcia gasped.

"Do you think you don't deserve good things written about you?" demanded Strauss.

"No ma'am," said Morgan. "We just thought… Maybe she would…"

"We don't know whose side she's on." JJ clarified.

"I assure you, she's on your side." said Strauss. She smiled slightly. "The woman has watched you all a long time. She may be your counselor, but I think many of you have come to see her as a friend, foreigner or not."

"Yes ma'am." said Garcia. She grinned at the team. Reid offered her a weak smile in return. It was hard to tell with Victoria, though. Agent Parker had to be loyal to the bureau first. Not the team. Would she put duty before the fragile friendship she had with the team?

…

"Agent Reid chose to let Doyle out, correct?" said Cramer.

"Yes sir," said Victoria.

"That seems like a reckless decision, perhaps fueled by the need for vengeance?" Cramer interrogated.

Victoria chuckled slightly. "With all due respect, sir, Dr. Reid is the last person I would expect a 'need for vengeance' from. Any decision Dr. Reid makes, it is preceded by logic, statistics and an IQ of 187. The decision to bring Doyle along was made after Dr. Reid ran the probability of Declan's survival. The chances weren't good, so desperate times called for desperate measures."

"You noted that Agent Reid spent a substantial amount of time in the shooting range. Seems like an odd hobby." said Cramer.

"Do you have a way to let off steam, sir?" Victoria asked.

"Excuse me?" Cramer demanded.

"Some people go to the gym to let off steam. Some do yoga. Personally, I like to paint really aggressive abstract masterpieces. Dr. Reid practices his shooting. I don't see anything unhealthy or wrong with that, do you?" Victoria countered.

"I understand your point, Agent Parker," said Cramer, lifting an agitated hand to shut up Victoria. She merely stared back with a smug smirk. He frowned and glanced at Reid's evaluation. "Has Agent Reid ever shown any self-destructive behavior in the past, and could that have led to his insistence of letting Doyle out and quote 'chaining himself to Doyle if he has to'?"

 _"_ _What's bothering you, Reid? You're unusually quiet today." said Victoria._

 _"_ _I… I was captured by an unsub once." Reid admitted._

 _"_ _What happened?" Victoria prompted._

 _"_ _I nearly died. He tortured me with a drug called dilaudid. When I was rescued, I… I became addicted." said Reid. He stared at his hands, pointedly keeping his gaze averted from Victoria's._

 _"_ _You stopped, though," said Victoria. Reid nodded. "And have you thought about using again?"_

 _"_ _No," said Reid. "I just feel… A lot like I did then."_

 _"_ _And what was that?" Victoria asked._

 _"_ _There's no point if we can't even keep each other safe. It's pointless if we're all just going to end up being victims ourselves." said Reid._

 _"_ _Spencer," Victoria said, her tone gentle, "every unsub you catch is one less monster out there. Even if you fail, at least you know you went out as a hero."_

 _Spencer's lips twitched. "A hero," he repeated. "Never been called that before."_

 _"_ _That's what you and your team are," said Victoria. "Heroes."_

 _"_ _My mom calls us Knights of the Round Table," Spencer said._

 _"_ _Your mom?" Victoria prompted._

 _"_ _Diana Reid," said Spencer. "S-she… She's a paranoid schizophrenic, but she still reads my letters and…" He trailed off, looking a bit flustered._

 _"_ _She sees you as a hero," Victoria murmured. She smiled. "As do I. There's no way I could get up and catch killers. Can you imagine me with a gun?"_

 _Spencer smiled. "If I can have one, you can."_

 _Victoria laughed. "I would shoot myself in the foot. Literally. There's a reason I wear glasses. I can't see shit."_

"Dr. Reid is not self-destructive. He quoted that to show his dedication to keeping Doyle in custody, not because he had a death wish, sir. There was no way to foresee what the outcome would be." said Victoria.

"Fine," said Cramer. "And Prentiss?"

"I cannot speak for her, save what I have heard from the team. She is a remarkable woman, an outstanding agent and friend, and most of all, she is loyal to her country." said Victoria.

"And the team as a whole?" Cramer demanded.

"They are a well-oiled machine, sir. They work as a true unit. It's been remarkable watching them work together and solve seventeen different cases. They have a bond like no other team I've ever seen. They were able to solve this case, even with the huge shock of Prentiss's secret being uncovered. A dysfunctional team wouldn't have been able to handle that, sir." said Victoria.

"Due to this shock of Prentiss's arrival, and their reckless actions, this team does need to be watched closely still," said Cramer. Victoria held her breath. "We will notify you on whether or not you get to keep your job. Send them in on your way out."

Victoria exhaled. "Yes, sir." She stood and left the room and entered the hall. The team looked at her with wide eyes. Victoria tried not to give too much away with her facial expression. "They're ready for you."

…

Victoria followed Strauss into the conference room with the rest of the team. Strauss faced the team. "The committee has made it clear that they will not support a rogue team," she said. "Fortunately, Agent Prentiss convinced them you were not that." said Strauss.

Everyone sighed with relief. "So, we're ok?" said Garcia.

"They will be watching you closely, but suspension has been lifted for everybody." said Strauss.

"Who will be watching us?" asked JJ.

"Agent Parker will be joining you on your cases to supervise you and reporting back to the committee." said Strauss.

Victoria sighed. "I still have my job?"

Strauss smiled. "Yes."

Victoria relaxed. Morgan patted her back. She grinned. "There's still some paperwork, regarding your situation, but the team could use you, Prentiss." said Strauss.

"May I think about it?" Prentiss asked.

"Of course." said Strauss.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then… "I'm in." Prentiss said. Everyone grinned.

"I have a stack of cases on my desk. I'll be happy to distribute them." said Strauss.

"I'll come by and pick them up in the morning." Hotch replied, nodding to Strauss. She smiled and left the conference room.

"Emily, what did you tell them?" asked Morgan.

Prentiss shrugged. "I just told them that you guys were the only team who could've accomplished that mission. And then I recited our oath."

Rossi chuckled. "Well, I guess we owe you one."

"I think you may owe her, too," said Prentiss, glancing at Victoria. "She's the one who did your evaluations?"

Victoria felt her cheeks burn as everyone looked at her. "They took some things out of context, so I just corrected them."

"I bet they gave you hell for it." said Prentiss.

Victoria shrugged. "Well, they thought that I had just done a poor job of evaluating the team, but I justified my evaluations."

"What's in those evaluations?" asked Morgan.

"That's classified," Victoria teased with a grin. Morgan raised an eyebrow. Victoria rolled her eyes. "It's all just whether or not I believe your emotional status gets in the way of your functionality. I didn't believe that with any of you. You all passed."

"We were worried that you were going to sell us out." said JJ, smiling.

"Of course I wouldn't," said Victoria. "I've grown quite fond of you all," she said. She looked at Prentiss. "I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you. I've heard great things about you."

Prentiss smiled and shook Victoria's hand. "Thanks for helping them through this crap. It's nice to meet you, too."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "There's more crap to sort through, though."

"So you're going to be traveling with us now?" asked Reid.

Victoria nodded. "I have to supervise you," she said. "Makes me sound like a chaperone at prom or something."

Hotch smirked. "Make sure you have a go bag packed and ready at the office at all times."

"Got it," said Victoria.

"You won't be hanging with me anymore?" Garcia pouted.

Victoria grimaced. "Not for a while," she said. "But I'm sure after several cases, they'll reduce the amount I have to travel with the team."

"Well, we have to be at work early tomorrow. Go home and get some rest." said Hotch.

The team bade farewell to each other. Victoria headed to her car and climbed in, ready to go home. It had been a long week.

 **…**

 **Wow, thanks for all the follows and such! It means a lot. I'm re-watching episodes to make sure I get the dialogue at least 85-90% correct. I will try and update as soon as possible, I had some free time and was able to get this chapter done fairly quickly. Let me know what you guys thought! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Proof_**

Victoria narrowed her eyes as Spencer clenched his jaw and ignored a smile from JJ. She watched the two depart to investigate the abduction sites. Victoria worked her jaw. It seemed Spencer was angry. She sighed and made a mental note to talk to him. She still hadn't figured out how exactly she was going to observe the team and prove that they didn't need to be supervised. For the time being, she wanted to help her new friends cope with the shock of regaining Prentiss.

"Parker," said Hotch. Victoria turned, eyebrows raised in askance. "I want you to be in there when I talk to Becky's parents."

Victoria frowned. "Why?"

"You have a comforting presence. I'm about to ask them some difficult questions." said Hotch.

Victoria nodded. "Okay."

She entered the room and sat across from the victim's parents. Hotch explained what had happened to Becky to the parents. Victoria cringed at the thought of being blinded with acid. She couldn't imagine how the parents were feeling. If someone had done that to someone Victoria cared about… She shuddered to even think about it.

"Why'd he blind her?" whimpered Becky's father.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." said Victoria.

"I know this is difficult, but I need you to take a look at Becky's clothes. We found her in them. Are they familiar?" said Hotch. He handed a plastic package to Becky's parents.

The mother sniffed and shook her head. "No. I saw her that morning. She was wearing a pink and brown sweater." she sobbed. Victoria exchanged a glance with Hotch. The fact that the unsub had changed Becky's clothes didn't mean anything to her, but it seemed to mean something to Hotch.

Victoria looked back at Becky's parents. "Thank you for your help." she said gently. She reached across the table and squeezed the parents' hands, which were clasped together in comfort.

"You'll find him, won't you? This helped?" asked Becky's father.

Victoria nodded. "Immensely."

She and Hotch left to give the grieving parents a moment together. Victoria let out a long breath. "You all right?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah," Victoria breathed. "That doesn't ever get any easier, does it?"

"Unfortunately no," said Hotch. He dipped his head to her and walked away. Victoria watched him go. She turned to see that JJ and Reid had returned, only Reid was practically sprinting to get away from JJ. Victoria sighed and followed Reid.

"Spencer, you need to talk to JJ." Victoria said when she caught up. Spencer glanced down at her and frowned.

"No, I don't." he argued.

Victoria crossed her arms. "I'm telling you as your friend to talk to JJ."

"And I'm asking you as my friend to drop it, okay? I'm already mad at two friends. I don't want to be angry with you, too." Spencer said.

Victoria sighed and dropped her arms. "Fine."

She turned on her heel and stalked away. She went to the bathroom. She was surprised to see JJ, wiping away tears. "Oh. Victoria. Hey." JJ said, sniffling.

Victoria softened. "JJ, maybe you should talk to him."

"I tried," JJ said. "He won't. He just ignores me."

"Keep pushing," Victoria advised. "Sometimes people need you to break down their walls. Reid's got some pretty high walls. He won't talk to me, either. I think it has to be you or Prentiss."

JJ wiped her eyes. "And if he doesn't?"

"Give him time," Victoria said. "He'll come around."

"But…" JJ tried.

"Spence doesn't hold grudges very long. He's very kind. And he values your friendship. That's why he's upset. Show him that his friendship matters to you, too." Victoria said.

JJ nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Victoria smiled and squeezed JJ's shoulder comfortingly.

…

Victoria typed away on her laptop, summarizing her observations from the team so far. She tried to glaze over the interpersonal tension as best as possible, but she wasn't going to lie, either. Raised voices caught her attention. She glanced up.

Reid and JJ were arguing. Victoria closed her laptop and stood. JJ was on the verge of tears. Victoria prepared herself to get involved. "What if I started taking dilaudid again? Would you have let me?" demanded Reid. Victoria's stomach dropped.

"You didn't." said JJ.

"Yeah, but I thought about it." snapped Reid. Victoria widened her eyes. It had gone that far? Why hadn't Reid told her?

"Spence!" JJ called. Spencer wheeled around. "I'm sorry."

"It's too late, all right?" Spencer seethed. He raged past Victoria. She gazed at a red-eyed JJ in shock.

"Reid…" said Prentiss, trying to stop Spencer. But he had already stormed off. Victoria inhaled sharply. Well, now was the time to do her job. She followed Spencer outside.

"Reid?" she queried gently.

"Not now. I'm fine." said Reid.

"No, you're not," Victoria retorted. "You considered dilaudid?"

"I… Yeah." Reid admitted.

Victoria's heart sank. How horrible a counselor –a friend –she was! "Why didn't you tell me?"

Reid looked at her. "Because I didn't trust you. We weren't really friends. If I had told you…"

"You thought I would've reported you," Victoria guessed, fingering her necklace. Reid nodded. Victoria sighed. "Look, I get it. But listen to me, Spencer. You matter more to me than my job. Next time, you tell me, and I will help you discreetly. But I want to know. Understand?"

Spencer nodded. He frowned. "Did JJ tell you? About Emily?"

Victoria scowled. "What?"

"Did you know she was alive? Did JJ tell you something in your sessions? You weren't surprised to see Emily." Reid demanded.

Victoria gaped at him. "Of course not!" she snapped. "I had a suspicion that JJ was hiding something, and Hotch, but I just didn't know what. When I saw Emily, it wasn't hard to fit the pieces together. Spencer, I swear I didn't know."

Spencer nodded, as if he believed her. He widened his eyes. "I have a theory about the unsub."

Victoria dipped her head. "Go get 'em."

Spencer pressed his lips into a tight smile. "Victoria?"

"Yeah?" Victoria said, frowning.

"Thank you." Spencer murmured.

"Not a problem." Victoria smiled.

…

Victoria walked through the hall with Hotch and Rossi. "How's Reid?" asked Rossi.

"He's angry and frustrated. I'm surprised you all aren't." said Victoria.

"Some of us had an inkling," said Rossi. Victoria raised her eyebrows at him. "What? I'm good at what I do," Rossi insisted. He turned from Hotch's smirk to Victoria. "So, are you going to get psychological counseling or are you going to handle it internally?"

"No, I think if we just got together… Maybe a cooking lesson at the home of an agent…" Victoria said, grinning at Rossi's protests.

"It could boost morale." agreed Hotch.

"Is that an order?" said Rossi, looking between Hotch and Victoria.

Victoria and Hotch exchanged amused glances. "No, it's a… tempered suggestion." said Hotch.

Rossi rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. Victoria grinned at Hotch.

…

Spencer rang the doorbell at Rossi's mansion. He bounced nervously on the balls of his feet. He hadn't apologized to JJ or Emily yet. Or Victoria, for snapping at her. He wasn't sure if he was welcome at the cooking lesson. He had acted childishly, and he was embarrassed.

Morgan answered the door. His face split with a wide grin. "Pretty boy! C'mon," he said. Spencer entered the mansion and followed Morgan to the kitchen. He waved awkwardly to the team.

"Sorry I'm late," Spencer said.

"Aye, this is why I cook alone!" said Rossi.

Spencer glanced at JJ. He offered her a small smile. To his relief, she returned it. He glanced over at Victoria, who looked strange in a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail. Her eyes were still rimmed with her large, rectangular glasses. She wore black Converses. Spencer's lips twitched. She wore sneakers? At work she always dressed in pantsuits, skirts, blouses, heels and blazers. She looked… odd. But a good kind of odd. Spencer realized he was about to miss the family toast. He clinked his glass against his team members', his family.

"So, Parker," said Morgan once the spaghetti was ready, "tell us about yourself."

"I'm pretty boring." said Victoria, shaking her head.

"Ah, c'mon," said Morgan. "You're not getting off that easy."

"Yeah, you've listened to us complain about our lives in counseling! Let's hear about yours!" said Garcia.

Victoria smiled awkwardly. "Uh, well, I have a brother named Jason. He and his friend Seth live with me during the schoolyear."

"Really? Why?" said Prentiss.

"My mom teaches at a school, but my brothers… Have some disabilities. So I let them live here. They attend a school that has a special program for them here in Quantico." said Victoria.

"What disabilities? If it's not too much to ask." said Garcia.

"Well, Jason is autistic. They both have Asperger's Syndrome and have ADHD. Seth also has ticks and Tourette's." said Victoria.

Morgan widened his eyes. "And they both live with you?"

Victoria grinned. "Yeah, they do."

"Wow, you must be the queen of patience." said Garcia.

"Eh, they're not that bad. They cuss so much that they'd make sailors uncomfortable, but it's okay. They're good kids." said Victoria.

"So are they home right now?" asked JJ.

"Yeah, they're playing video games. They probably haven't even eaten the dinner I laid out for them yet." said Victoria, rolling her eyes.

"That's so cool," said Garcia. "Not that they probably haven't eaten, but that you're practically raising them."

"Thank you," said Victoria. "I have a new puppy, too."

"Oh, what kind?" cooed Garcia.

"She's a yorkie shih tzu mix. Her name's Lumos." said Victoria.

"Lumos?" Spencer questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"As in the spell from Harry Potter?" said Garcia.

Victoria nodded. "Mhm."

"Oh my God, you're a fan?" Garcia yelped.

"Yeah," Victoria said, feeling a bit awkward.

"Me too!" Garcia sang.

"I have another dog named Nox." said Victoria.

"The counter spell to Lumos? That's genius!" Garcia said, her eyes bright. "What House are you in?"

"Ravenclaw." said Victoria.

"I'm in Hufflepuff!" cried Garcia.

"Ravenclaw? Hufflepuff?" Spencer questioned.

"At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one is sorted into a House, based on their personality. Ravenclaw is for the wise, Hufflepuff is for the loyal, Gryffindor is for the brave and Slytherin is for the ambitious." explained Garcia.

"What's Harry Potter?" Spencer asked.

Victoria gaped. She held up a hand to mime shunning him. "I don't think I can be friends with you."

Spencer raised his eyebrows and exchanged a clueless look with Hotch, who was smiling. Actually smiling. JJ and Emily were giggling. "Ladies, come back to Earth. We lost you." said Morgan, chuckling.

Victoria grinned. "Sorry."

Spencer smiled. Victoria was actually a dork. He kind of liked it.

 **…**

 **Wow, thank you guys so much for the reviews and follow and favorites! It really means a lot. To the guests who reviewed, thank you. Two of you didn't name yourselves, so I can't personally call you out, but to Olivia the Guest, thank you so much! I really do love writing, and this show. I've been with it since… Season 4 or 5. Anyway, thanks for all your support, let me know what you thought of this chapter! (And I oh-so-creatively name the chapters after the episodes they follow).**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Dorado Falls_**

Victoria was pleased to see the team working together in an amicable manner. They seemed to be recovering from their shock. Victoria still needed to conduct her one-on-one therapy sessions, and she had planned to that week, but a case had come up. Luckily, the case was local, so Victoria wasn't required to travel. She did, however, remain at Quantico to observe the team.

Her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She checked it and swore under her breath. Prentiss glanced at her curiously but didn't say anything. Victoria stepped into the hall. "Korey, I am so sorry-!"

"Where the hell are you?" demanded Korey.

Victoria flinched. "I'm at work."

"I thought it was a local case." said Korey.

"It is, but it's taking longer than expected." said Victoria.

"Did you forget we had plans?" Korey sighed.

"I didn't, but… I can't leave, Korey." said Victoria.

"Why didn't you call me to let me know?" Korey asked.

"I… I don't know, babe. I'm stressed. This case is hitting close to home at the BAU." said Victoria.

"It's not your job to solve the case. It's your job to observe the team." said Korey.

"Yeah, which I can't do if you're calling me 24/7." snapped Victoria. She instantly regretted her words.

"Don't be such a bitch. I'm only checking in on you." seethed Korey.

"I know," murmured Victoria, cringing. "I-I didn't mean to say that."

"Whatever." muttered Korey.

Hotch stepped into the hall. "Hang up, now." he ordered.

"I gotta go." Victoria said.

"What?" Korey yelped. But Victoria had already hung up. She knew Korey would be pissed, but orders were orders.

"What's going on?" Victoria asked.

"Luke, the unsub, is coming here." said Hotch, leading Victoria to the surveillance room.

"Crap," said Victoria, widening her eyes.

"You need to stay with Prentiss and me with Luke's family. They'll need your support." said Hotch.

"Okay." said Victoria, preparing herself. Hotch opened the door. Victoria entered the dark room and crossed over to the screens, where Jenna, Luke's wife, watched anxiously. Victoria placed a comforting hand on Jenna's arm.

Victoria turned her attention to the screens, where she watched Luke approach Rossi, gun and detonator in hand. "We need you to talk to him, can you do that?" Hotch asked.

Jenna nodded, wiping her eyes. "I-I think so."

"…Your real parents are dead." said Reid's voice on the screen. Victoria stared as Luke turned his attention to Reid. She looked at Jenna.

"You can do this." Victoria murmured.

Jenna nodded and took the microphone. "Luke? Can you hear me? I need you to stop what you're doing."

Victoria placed her hands on Ally's shoulders. Hotch scribbled something and showed Jenna. "We're fine. Ally and me are safe. Luke, you have to let those people go." said Jenna.

"Terms haven't changed." said Luke on the screen.

Victoria crouched in front of Ally. "Sweetheart, can you talk to him?"

Ally nodded. "Daddy?" she whimpered into the microphone. "Why are you doing this? Mommy says you don't feel good? M-maybe you need to lie down. I'm scared, Daddy. I just wanna go home." Ally turned away from the microphone and buried her face in Jenna's shirt.

"Jenna, can you talk about something personal, something only you two know about?" Hotch asked gently. Jenna nodded and delved into a story about her honeymoon on the microphone. Victoria bit her lip, watching the screen anxiously.

"Your mind and eyes are playing tricks on you. You think that anyone you see is an imposter, but it's all caused by an illness." said Reid on the screen.

"You're sick, Luke. It's not your fault." said Jenna.

"I love you, Daddy!" cried Ally.

"We both do." agreed Jenna.

"C'mon now, Luke. None of us wanna hurt you. You're a hero to this country. Please let us help you." said Morgan on the screen.

"I wanna see Jenna." Luke choked.

"Then do as I say. Put down the gun and close your eyes," said Rossi. Luke put down his gun but didn't close his eyes or release the detonator.

Victoria turned to Jenna. "Talk to him." she urged.

"Close your eyes, Luke. Close your eyes or we'll never be together." said Jenna.

Victoria breathed a sigh of relief when Luke relented. She turned to Jenna. "Explain why they're handcuffing him, and then you can see him, okay?"

Jenna nodded. "They're going to handcuff you because they think you might hurt me. Just keep your eyes closed, baby."

Victoria dipped her head and led Jenna to the bullpen. Jenna rushed to Luke and threw her arms around his neck. He sobbed into her shoulder. Jenna explained he needed to go to the hospital. Victoria glanced at Reid. He offered her a grim twitch of his lips.

"Luke, Jenna's going to cover your eyes, okay?" Victoria murmured. Jenna began to tie her scarf around Luke's eyes.

"Daddy!" shrieked Ally.

"No! JJ, grab her!" cried Morgan. Luke shook the scarf off and struggled, but Morgan held him in a tight grip. JJ hauled Jenna away from Luke. Prentiss dragged Ally away. Victoria rubbed Jenna's arm comfortingly as Luke was led away.

…

Spencer glanced up as Victoria approached him. She looked flustered. "Hey," he said. To his surprise, Victoria hugged him. Spencer blinked before hugging her back. Victoria withdrew, looking a little embarrassed. "What was that for?" Spencer asked, frowning.

"I…" She scowled and punched his shoulder. Spencer stared at her, bewildered. "I was worried about you."

Spencer smirked. "Me? Why?"

"Because you're my friend," said Victoria. "Who else is going to give me weird facts and statistics while working on a geographical profile?"

Spencer smiled. "I didn't realize you enjoyed it so much."

Victoria pinched her eyebrows together. "Of course I do," she said. "I like learning new things."

Spencer bounced on the balls of his feet. "So… We're friends?"

"Yeah," Victoria said, smirking. She tilted her head. "Sometimes friends hang out, you know, outside of work."

Spencer grinned. "Do you like coffee?"

"I'm a coffee brat," Victoria replied. "I don't make my own, I have to have it from a shop." She grinned cheekily.

Spencer returned the smile. "Well, maybe before work one day or something… We could go get some."

"I'd like that," said Victoria. "You can tell me some facts about coffee."

"Did you know that Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee?" said Spencer.

Victoria laughed. "I did not know that," she admitted. Her phone began to ring. "Oh, it's my boyfriend," she said. Spencer frowned. She had a boyfriend? "I'll text you and we can set up a time, okay?" Victoria said. Spencer nodded. Victoria answered her phone and waved goodbye to Spencer. "Hey, Korey. It was a late night. Are we still having dinner tomorrow night?"

Spencer pressed his lips together and grabbed his things. Victoria had never mentioned her boyfriend before. And why would she have? They weren't extremely close and there weren't a lot of opportunities for chatting. Spencer's lips twisted with a smile. He was looking forward to having a friend who wasn't a profiler.

 **…**

 **So sorry for the late update! I had three tests last week and I've been sick… I also got a nosebleed in the middle of class, lol. That's always fun. Anyhoo, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Painless_**

"Grande white mocha?" said Spencer, raising his eyebrows at Victoria. She sipped her hot beverage.

"Yeah, I like my coffee so sugary it's hardly coffee anymore, bite me." she said, rolling her eyes.

Spencer smirked. They sank into comfy chairs facing each other. "So…" Spencer prompted. He wasn't sure what to say.

"So, how are you?" Victoria asked.

"Is this a counseling session?" Spencer asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No," said Victoria, grinning. "I'm asking as your friend."

"It's weird having Emily back. But it's good, too." said Spencer.

"I need to do the one-on-one sessions with each of you…" Victoria muttered, cracking her neck. "There are just so many cases and so much traveling."

"Yeah," said Spencer. He pinched his lips. "How does your boyfriend feel about the traveling?"

Victoria looked distracted. "Hm?" she said. Spencer stared at her. "Oh, Korey? He… He isn't too fond of it. I told him absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Spencer smiled. "Are you two serious?"

Victoria shrugged. "We want to be, but we're just waiting for certain things to fall in place."

"Like what?" Spencer asked, sipping his coffee.

"Well, he's not really ready for kids. So we're waiting for my brothers to graduate high school before he and I get married and all that." said Victoria.

"He doesn't want kids?" Spencer said, frowning.

"Er, well, he just doesn't want to raise Jason and Seth, you know? And it's not really fair of me to ask him to." said Victoria.

She seemed uncomfortable, so Spencer decided to change the subject. "What about Harry Potter? Your dogs' names are Lumos and Nox, right?"

Victoria beamed and nodded. "Yeah, they're spells from the books."

"Are all the spells Latin-based?" asked Spencer.

"Yeah! I translated some of them. It took me a while because some of them were altered and whatnot, but it's really cool." said Victoria.

"Why Lumos and Nox?" Spencer asked.

"Well, Lumos is a white dog, and that's the spell for lighting the tip of a wand. Nox is a black dog, and that's the spell for turning off the light." Victoria explained.

Spencer bounced his head appreciatively. "Do you read a lot?"

Victoria smirked. "I do…"

Spencer tilted his head. "But?" he prompted.

"I don't read Spencer Reid books. I read Victoria Parker books." said Victoria.

Spencer grinned. "What's a 'Spencer Reid book'?"

"Something about quantum physics or something," said Victoria. Spencer laughed. "I read fiction."

"What kind of fiction?" asked Spencer.

"Mainly fantasy, some dystopian and some sci-fi." said Victoria.

"Why fantasy?" asked Spencer.

"It's what I like to write." said Victoria.

"You're a writer?" said Spencer, raising his eyebrows.

Victoria pursed her lips. "Trying to be an artist," she admitted. "But freelance stuff doesn't pay the bills, so… Here I am."

"What kind of art do you do?" Spencer asked, intrigued.

"Whatever makes me feel funky," said Victoria. She shrugged. "Sometimes I just splash colors on the canvas, others I actually try and make an image… I mainly write, though. I like theatre, too."

Spencer smiled. "The oldest play in existence is _The_ _Persians_ by Aeschylus, written in 472 BC."

"I didn't know that," said Victoria. "That's interesting. Well, my group does a lot of children's plays, but we do some more adult ones, too."

"Like what?" Spencer wondered.

"Last year we did _Footloose_. This year we're doing Disney's _Mulan_." Victoria replied.

"Did you audition?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah," said Victoria, looking at her hands. "I'm Mulan's granny in the play."

Spencer grinned. "The grandma?"

"Yeah, she's a comedic role. I told them that I needed to be flexible because of my job." said Victoria.

"Maybe I could go see the show." said Spencer.

Victoria beamed. "Maybe."

Spencer and Victoria's phones buzzed at the same time. It was a text from Hotch. "Time to go in." said Spencer, pressing his lips together grimly.

"This was fun," said Victoria. "Maybe next time you can talk more."

Spencer cringed. "I don't really like to talk about myself."

"Nobody does. And yet, everybody does," said Victoria with a wink. She strode to her car and waved goodbye. "See you at the bullpen." she said.

Spencer waved. "See you." he murmured. He climbed into his own car. _Nobody does. And yet, everybody does._ Interesting. Spencer smiled and started his car.

…

" _Son of a bitch_!" Victoria looked up sharply at Reid's yell. "Hi, this Dr. Spencer Reid. I actually can come to the phone right now with a very important message that your mother-!"

"Reid." Hotch interrupted.

Reid shut off his phone. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," he mumbled. Victoria glanced at Morgan, who looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. After the team dispersed, Spencer started gathering his things. "I will crush you." he muttered.

"What?" Morgan said.

"What?" Spencer repeated.

Victoria smirked. Morgan walked out. Spencer looked at her. "You're gonna get him back, right?" Victoria said.

Spencer pinched his eyebrows together. "Of course I am."

Victoria grinned. "Good." She winked. Spencer smirked and walked out of the room.

Victoria sighed. She was left to type up another report while the team hunted down the unsub. She opened up her laptop and began typing away. Her phone began to ring. Victoria glanced at the caller ID. Biting her lip, Victoria chose to ignore the call. She continued with her review of Aaron Hotchner and was in the middle of typing the word 'orderly' when her phone rang again. Victoria groaned and answered it.

"Korey, hey," she said.

"Vicky," Korey returned. "Where are you?"

"I'm on a case." said Victoria.

"When will you be back?" asked Korey.

"A day or two," said Victoria. "I think they're wrapping up soon. But I'm not sure."

"Well, mark me on your calendar this weekend. We're going out." said Korey.

Victoria grinned. "Ooh, where're you taking me?"

"It's a surprise," said Korey. Victoria could hear the smile in his voice. "But wear something sexy."

Victoria blushed. "Korey," she chided gently. "I'm at work."

"I know babe," cooed Korey. "Wish I were there."

"Me too," Victoria sighed. "I'm really sorry that I travel so much now."

"It's okay," said Korey. But Victoria could hear the bitterness in his tone.

"I'm excited for our date." Victoria said.

"Me too." said Korey.

Victoria's phone beeped with another incoming call. She glanced at the screen. Hotch. She sighed. "I gotta go. The boss is calling."

"All right. Talk to you later." said Korey.

"Okay." Victoria hung up and answered Hotch. "Hey."

"Be ready to leave in an hour." said Hotch.

Victoria blinked. "So soon?"

"We wrapped up." said Hotch.

"Oh. Well…" Victoria trailed off. She hatched an idea. "I still need to conduct my first session with the whole team."

"Okay, well, we can figure it out on the plane." said Hotch, a question hanging in his voice.

"Well, I had a thought that we could have dinner at my house tomorrow night. I think in a casual setting, the team will let their guard down and allow me to observe them as a unit. It'll give me a place to start." said Victoria, grinning.

"I think it's a good idea. The team is in definite need of moral boosting." agreed Hotch.

"Great. Glad you agree." Victoria replied.

…

Spencer frowned as he drove further and further out of the city. Where in the world did Victoria live? He took a right onto a dirt road that wound through a cluster of trees. He drove cautiously, keeping his eyes peeled for Victoria's house. His eyes widened when he saw it. The grove of trees opened up to reveal a spacious area. A decent red-brick house sat charmingly in the middle of the space. A fence ran along behind the house, blocking off a pasture. Spencer parked his car in the wide driveway. He shut off the engine and got out. He approached the front door. He seemed to be the first one there. He knocked on the door. It swung open. Victoria smiled.

"Spence, hey." she greeted.

Spencer smiled. "Hey," he said. "Nice house."

Victoria cringed. "Thanks." Spencer entered the house. Victoria led him to her kitchen. "Can I get you anything to drink? Wine, Smirnoff, soda, sweet tea…?"

Spencer smirked. "Uh, wine is fine."

Victoria dipped her head and got out two glasses. "White or red?"

"Uh, red." said Spencer, gazing around the room. A large marquee sign hung on the wall that read, _Parker_. Spencer smiled his thanks when Victoria handed him a glass of red wine. She sipped from a glass of white. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. She wore jeans and a blue Ravenclaw T-shirt. She wasn't wearing her glasses. She looked strange without them, but pretty. Spencer tilted his head. "Your eyes change color."

"What?" Victoria replied, frowning.

"Normally they're blue. They're grey right now." said Spencer.

"Oh. Yeah, sometimes they're green." said Victoria, smiling cheekily. There was a knock on the door. Victoria scurried to answer the door. She returned with Garcia and Morgan, who had ridden together.

"Your house is amazing!" gasped Garcia.

Victoria smiled. "Thank you." She poured Garcia and Morgan glasses of wine. There was another knock on the door and Victoria skipped off to answer it. Spencer watched her go before turning back to Garcia and Morgan.

Garcia smirked at Spencer. "You think she's pretty." Garcia accused.

"What? I never said that!" Spencer snapped.

Morgan grinned. "You don't need to."

Spencer pursed his lips. "She's just a friend."

Victoria returned with JJ and Emily in tow. "What's up?" JJ asked. Victoria flitted around the kitchen, pouring JJ and Emily a glass of wine when the doorbell rang. She scurried off to answer it. Spencer heard a bang from upstairs and frowned. Morgan glanced up at the ceiling, his eyebrows raised.

"What was that?" Emily asked.

"Maybe her house is haunted." said Garcia.

Victoria bounced into the kitchen with Hotch and Rossi. "We think you have ghosts." said Morgan.

Victoria frowned. "What?"

"Banging," said JJ, pointing at the ceiling. As if on cue, there was another loud bang.

"Oh, that," said Victoria. She walked toward the end of the kitchen. Spencer peered around to see the foot of a staircase. "Boys! Stop that!" Victoria yelled.

"Okay!" came a muffled yell from above. Spencer frowned.

"Your brothers?" he guessed.

Victoria nodded, returning to the others. "I ordered pizza, because I'm a terrible cook."

"Can we have a tour?" asked Garcia.

"Sure," said Victoria. "Right this way," she sang. She led the group back toward the front door and into a spacious living room. It had brick floors, a cozy brown sofa and a red and brown loveseat. "So, this is the den. The boys usually play video games in here but I made them move upstairs for now," she explained. She showed them the guest room and dining room.

"I wanna see your room!" said Garcia.

Victoria shrugged and led the team to her room. "My dogs are locked in here." she warned, opening the door. Two fuzz balls zoomed out of the room and jumped around, barking and yapping excitedly.

"They're so cute!" gasped Garcia, crouching to pet the white puppy, Lumos.

"They're dumb." Victoria argued, rolling her eyes.

"Dumb?" repeated Morgan, grinning.

"Stupidest dogs I've ever had," Victoria said. "They refuse to use the doggy door."

"Oh wow, I love your room." said JJ, looking at Victoria's room. The walls were white, but the bedding was blue and grey.

"Thank you." Victoria chirped.

"Upstairs!" said Garcia, pointing.

Victoria led the team upstairs. "Those are the boys' rooms, and they're filthy so I'm not even going in there. This is the extra room." said Victoria. She paused before the door, where her brothers could be heard from inside. "Keep in mind that they have Asperger's Syndrome. Seth has Tourette's and ticks and Jason is mildly autistic. So if they say or do something that seems a little… unfiltered, that's because it is." she warned.

She opened the door to reveal a cluttered room, filled with easels, paints and canvases. "Artistic much?" Morgan asked.

"A little." said Victoria. "Boys, say hello."

"Hello," said the tall and lanky one, not even bothering to look away from his video game.

"Sup, fucker?" said the pudgy one. Spencer widened his eyes.

"Seth," snapped Victoria. "Watch your language."

Seth, the pudgy boy with brown hair, glanced over at her. "Oh. Sorry."

Victoria glanced at the team and mouthed an apology. "You have people over?" said the lanky boy.

"I told you I was." said Victoria.

"Who are they?" the boy demanded.

"My team from work," said Victoria.

The boy paused his game and looked at them. "Hi," he muttered. He looked at Victoria. "Is the pizza here yet?"

"Nope," replied Victoria. "Should be soon," she added. "This is Jason, by the way." Victoria gestured to the lanky boy.

"Hi, I'm Penelope." said Garcia, extending her hand to Jason.

He shook her hand gingerly. "Hi."

The rest of the team introduced themselves. Spencer waved to Jason and Seth rather than shaking their hands. "Well, we can go back downstairs." said Victoria.

She led the way out of the room and back into the den, where everyone sat down.

"Victoria, what's that?" asked Emily, pointing.

Spencer looked to see a very abstract and colorful painting hanging on the wall. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Victoria, waiting for her response. "Oh. I paint sometimes." said Victoria.

"You painted that?" Emily said. Victoria nodded. "I like it."

"Thanks. I do it just for fun mostly." Victoria said.

The doorbell rang. Victoria shot up and answered the door. It was the pizza man. She paid for the pizzas and brought them into the den. "Boys! Pizza!" Victoria yelled.

"ZOINKS!" yelled Seth, charging down the stairs. Victoria handed him a box of plain old cheese pizza.

"Jinkies," chirped Victoria, grinning. Seth grinned and hurried back upstairs.

"Zoinks? Jinkies?" said Rossi, raising an eyebrow.

"We love Scooby Doo." said Victoria simply. She left to grab plates and napkins. She distributed said items, and then the team dug into pizza. Spencer grinned as the team swapped stories about favorite childhood TV shows. Since Spencer hadn't watched TV as a child, he didn't talk much.

"What about you, Victoria?" asked Hotch.

"Well, I said Scooby Doo. But I didn't watch a whole lot of TV as a kid." said Victoria.

"Were you a nerd like Reid?" asked Morgan.

"Well, I read some, but I was always outside." said Victoria.

"Really?" said Morgan. "That surprises me."

"Why?" Victoria demanded.

"You don't strike me as the outdoorsy type." said Morgan, shrugging.

Victoria scowled, but her amusement cracked through her mask. "I know, I'm about as athletic as a donut."

Spencer choked on his pizza. JJ laughed. Garcia high-fived Victoria. "I feel ya, girl." said Garcia.

Spencer smiled. "So, if you weren't athletic, what did you do outside?" he asked.

"Well, I liked climbing trees. And there was a forest near my neighborhood, so I would walk around. My grandparents had land, so sometimes I rode horses or Jason and I liked driving around on four-wheelers." Victoria answered.

"Oh, you were a country girl?" said Morgan.

"Sort of," said Victoria. "We lived in the suburbs. My grandparents lived in the middle of nowhere, near Coushatta."

"Coo-whatta?" repeated Garcia.

"I'm from Louisiana." said Victoria.

"Ooh," said Garcia. "What part?"

"Monroe," said Victoria. "It's a really small city. But it was home. And it smelled kind of like a giant fart because of the paper mill, but whatever."

Spencer laughed. Emily smirked. "Are you sure you're not the unfiltered one?" she asked.

"I make a habit of being honest," said Victoria.

"So, anyone important in your life?" Morgan asked.

Victoria flushed. "Yeah, I have a boyfriend."

Spencer frowned. He knew about Victoria's boyfriend. But he wasn't quite sure why he didn't like listening to Victoria talk about the mystery man. "Oh, spill!" said Garcia.

"His name is Korey, and we've been together for about a year now." said Victoria.

"Is it serious?" Hotch asked, grinning.

"Getting there," Victoria allowed. The team started talking about dating, the horrors of it and the benefits of it. Eventually, people started leaving.

Finally, it was just Spencer. He liked spending time with Victoria. She was really relaxed at home. She was goofy around her brothers, making silly faces and jokes. Spencer enjoyed her company. But, eventually, the time came for him to leave, too.

He paused at the front door. "Want to get coffee again?" he asked.

"Sure," said Victoria. Spencer smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow." he said.

"Bye, Spence." Victoria replied. She closed the door. Spencer headed toward his car, still smiling.

 **…**

 **Thanks for all the support I've gotten thus far! One-on-one sessions with the team members are coming, I promise! Please review! I love to see your thoughts and comments. And reviews tend to prompt me to post faster…** **J**


	6. Chapter 6

**_There's No Place like Home_**

"Wheels up in thirty." Hotch said. The team dispersed from the conference room. Victoria hurried to grab her go bag. She dialed Jason's number, told him she'd be out of town for a while and then called Korey.

"What?" Korey snapped.

"I'm going on another case." said Victoria, flinching.

"Whatever." muttered Korey.

Victoria frowned. "Is something wrong? I had fun on our date this weekend."

"I gotta go." said Korey. He hung up without waiting for a response. Victoria's chest stung.

"You okay?" asked Prentiss.

Victoria blinked. "Hm? Oh, yeah." she said.

Prentiss frowned but didn't argue. Victoria gathered her belongings and headed with Spencer to the hangar. Victoria texted her friend Sophie, asking her to watch the boys for a few days. Sophie responded with an enthusiastic thumbs up. Victoria boarded the plane and glanced out the window. The sky was dark with ominous clouds. She got out a notebook and began writing a poem to calm her nerves. She was so submerged in her work that she didn't notice the plane take off, or the team's speculations about the case.

The plane trembled with a patch of turbulence, knocking Victoria's lettering askew. She closed her notebook and decided to listen to the team discuss the unsub. "It could be a forensic counter measure." suggested Prentiss.

Victoria glanced at the dark clouds out the window. "He could be awed by storms." she said. The plane went quiet. Victoria glanced up to see the team staring at her. She pursed her lips awkwardly. "Sorry."

"Actually, I think Victoria's right," said Spencer.

"Yeah," said Morgan. "It's pretty risky using a tornado as a forensic counter measure. The unsub could get killed himself."

The plane shook with another bout of turbulence. Victoria tilted her head curiously when Rossi crossed himself. She barely listened to Rossi's spat with Reid. "Rossi, are you Catholic?" Victoria asked.

"Casually. You?" said Rossi.

"Er, I grew up Catholic, yeah. I guess I'm more nondenominational now," Victoria replied. She noticed Spencer staring at her and turned back to the window. What was Korey so upset about? Was it her traveling? No, he hadn't known what she was calling about and he'd been upset when he'd first picked up the phone. So what could be irritating him?

Spencer sat across from her. Victoria glanced at him. "You okay?" Spencer asked.

The plane dipped unexpectedly. Victoria closed her eyes until the plane settled itself. "Are we landing?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"Yeah," said Spencer. "Are you okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

Spencer frowned. "You don't sound fine."

Victoria's eyebrows pinched together. "If you're just going to profile me, why even ask if I'm okay in the first place? It seems you already know the answer."

Spencer's eyes fell away from her face. "I'm just making sure you're okay."

Victoria sighed. "I'm sorry," she murmured. Spencer met her gaze. "Korey's mad about something and won't talk to me. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

Spencer nodded. "It's okay."

Victoria crossed her arms. "Love sucks."

Spencer's lips twisted with a small smile. "I don't think it's all bad."

"Do you have a special girl in your life?" Victoria asked, suddenly curious.

"Not right now." said Spencer. Victoria scrunched her lips together.

"Well, any girl would be stupid not to be with you. You're awesome." she said.

Spencer smiled. "Thanks."

…

"His dad used to beat on me, but he stood up for me. He was really protective. But… he ran away because he couldn't take it anymore." The mother of the victim, Jason, dissolved into sobs.

Victoria glanced at JJ and then reached across the table to take the mother's hand. "He sounds like he was a great kid." Victoria said gently.

The mother nodded. "Is that all?" she sobbed. "Did it help?"

"Yes, thank you." said JJ.

"Do you need anything?' Victoria asked.

Jason's mother shook her head. "Just catch this guy."

"We will." Victoria promised. She and JJ left the room. "I can't imagine…" Victoria said, shaking her head.

"Are you okay? I know your brother's name is Jason…" said JJ.

Victoria smiled. "I'm okay. Are you? I heard Henry was sick."

"Yeah. Will's taking care of him. His fever broke finally." said JJ, looking relieved.

"Good," said Victoria, squeezing JJ's arm in comfort. Her phone rang. Victoria glanced at it. It was Korey. Victoria stepped into the hall and answered the phone. "Korey, hey."

"I can't fucking believe you." Korey seethed.

Victoria's stomach twisted. "What's wrong?"

"You had your team over for dinner the other night." Korey snapped.

"Yeah?" Victoria replied, not sure where Korey was going with this.

"Most of your team is a bunch of fucking men!" Korey yelled.

Victoria gaped. "Korey, they're my colleagues. And there were women there, too."

"I don't give a shit. You probably just want to get in all of their pants, you dirty whore." Korey snarled.

Victoria's eyes stung with tears. "That is not true. They're just my friends. One of them is my boss! It was purely innocent, even work-related. I swear."

"What about that one guy, Spencer? You've gotten coffee with him before." said Korey.

"It was one time. He's just a friend. He's going through a rough time." Victoria explained.

"And I'm sure you're making him feel better with sex." Korey accused.

"No, I'm not. It's not like that at all. Spencer's just a friend." Victoria insisted.

"Are you cheating on me?" Korey asked.

"No, I swear." said Victoria.

Korey was quiet for a long time. "I want to read your texts with Spencer. All of them. I'll know if you delete any messages."

Victoria nodded. "O-okay." she whispered.

"Fine." Korey hung up. Victoria blinked, and the tears that had welled up in her eyes spilled onto her cheeks. She put her phone in her pocket. Footsteps clacking down the hall jerked her out of her daze.

"Are you okay?" It was Spencer's voice. Victoria glanced at him. Prentiss stood beside him. Spencer's face fluttered with concern when he saw the tears on Victoria's face. She wiped at them.

"Y-yeah," Victoria croaked. "I'm all right. Excuse me." She pushed past Spencer and Prentiss and hurried to the bathroom.

The door opened and Prentiss entered. "What's wrong?" Prentiss demanded.

Victoria sniffled, trying to compose herself. Prentiss grabbed some paper towels and handed them to Victoria. "K-Korey is mad at me for having the team over for dinner." Victoria admitted, wiping her eyes.

"What? Why?" Prentiss demanded.

"Well, h-he thinks I might be cheating on him with Reid," Victoria answered. Prentiss raised her eyebrows. "I'm not," Victoria insisted. "Reid's just a friend. But Korey… He can be jealous sometimes."

Prentiss frowned and searched inside her purse. She handed Victoria a tube of mascara. Victoria gave a watery chuckle and began reapplying her makeup. "Victoria… Has he ever hurt you?" Prentiss asked.

"God, no. He's just very protective." said Victoria. "Thank you." She handed the mascara back to Prentiss.

"No problem," said Prentiss, sounding distant.

…

"Hey, Reid," said Prentiss.

Spencer glanced at her. "Yeah? How's Victoria?"

"She's fine," said Prentiss. "Look, I was meaning to ask you… Have you ever met Victoria's boyfriend?"

Spencer frowned. "No," he answered. "Why?"

"Not sure. He just upset Victoria. I was just wondering." said Prentiss.

Spencer's frown deepened. "Is she okay?"

"I think so," said Prentiss, though she seemed troubled. "Do you and Parker hang out outside of work?"

"We've gotten coffee together one morning, but that's it," said Spencer. "What's going on?"

"Korey thinks Victoria is cheating on him with you." said Prentiss in an undertone.

Spencer widened his eyes. "Oh. We're not. She's just a friend. And not even a really close friend."

Prentiss raised her hands. "I'm not suggesting you are. Just warning you."

Spencer nodded slowly. "Thanks."

…

The storm outside raged while the team worked to profile the unsub. Victoria concentrated on scheduling counseling sessions with the team. The lights flickered occasionally, but Victoria kept at her paperwork. The room plunged into darkness when the power went out.

"Hold on Garcia," said Hotch into the phone. Victoria glanced around. She couldn't work on her paperwork with the lights off. The lights flickered back on when the generators kicked into gear.

"It's Frankenstein," said Reid by the window. Victoria glanced at him, frowning.

"What?" said Hotch.

"The unsub isn't just trying to put his brother back together, he's trying to bring him back from the dead. He believes tornadoes have the power to take life, so reversely they should have the power to restore it." Reid explained, joining the group.

Victoria nodded. "Frankenstein's monster was brought to life in the middle of a storm, too."

"Exactly." Reid said, nodding to her. Victoria returned to her paperwork while the team worked on catching the unsub. She decided that the best time to counsel the team was as soon as they returned from the case.

The team packed up to hunt down the unsub. Victoria approached Spencer. "Hey," she said. Spencer glanced at her as he strapped on his bulletproof vest. "Be careful out there." Victoria muttered.

Spencer nodded. "I will."

Victoria dipped her head awkwardly and turned away.

…

Spencer stared in horror as the tornado swirled closer, leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. The unsub was sucked into the vortex. Spencer waited by the shelter for JJ and Morgan to hurry over as the cyclone charged closer. Spencer's heart pounded. What if they didn't make it? What if he didn't get to see Victoria again? Despite the dire situation, Spencer couldn't help but frown at himself. Why did he care? Well, she had become a good friend of his…

JJ and Morgan hurried into the shelter. Spencer followed quickly. Morgan struggled to close the door, but eventually it slammed shut. Spencer panted in the corner, willing his heart rate to return to its normal pace. A sudden thought occurred to him: Victoria was his closest friend outside of work. His lips twitched with a small smile.

…

Back at the BAU, Victoria made the grim announcement that she had to counsel the team individually. "I'm sorry guys. I won't take long, I just have to send a report saying I did it. JJ, you and I can reschedule, I know you have important family matters." Victoria said.

"No, we can do it now. Can I go first?" JJ replied.

"Sure," Victoria said. "Hotch, may I borrow your office?"

"Of course," said Hotch, handing Victoria the key. Victoria led JJ to the office. She unlocked the door, flipped on the light and then settled into one of the armchairs. JJ sat in the other.

"How are you holding up?" Victoria asked.

"I'm all right," said JJ. "The traveling has been hard on my relationship. But Will understands that this is where I belong."

"Reid treating you okay?" Victoria wondered.

"Yeah, we're on good terms again. I just…" JJ trailed off, biting her lip.

"What?" Victoria prompted.

"Well, I still feel guilty. I mean, I hurt them. But they've all forgiven me, which I'm grateful for…" JJ trailed off again.

"You haven't quite forgiven yourself." Victoria guessed. JJ nodded. "You did the right thing. You protected Emily. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to do the right thing. In this case, you sacrificed the team's trust. But you earned it back. Do you think there's some other method that could've been used?"

"We could've told the truth." said JJ.

"But then they would've been targets of Doyle, because they would've known Emily's whereabouts and status. And secrets get out, no matter how trustworthy a person is. You made a difficult decision, but it was the right one." said Victoria.

JJ nodded. "Thank you."

Victoria smiled. "Now, go home to your son."

JJ smiled and left the room. Emily entered, looking a bit awkward as she sat across from Victoria. "Hey." Emily said, her hands gripping her knees.

"I know this is awkward. You haven't had to sit and talk with me one-on-one before. Whatever you say in here will not be shared with anyone. I'm just getting a feel for how you feel about the team and your place here." Victoria said.

Emily puffed out a long breath through her lips. "Okay," she said. She looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. "I feel good. It's good to be back. I don't know how they feel about it, though."

"They're over the initial shock. Why are you still uncertain?" Victoria said.

Emily smiled. "That obvious, huh?" Victoria nodded. Emily sighed. "I feel like they think I'm throwing off their rhythm or something. I mean, Morgan told me he didn't feel that way. He's just afraid he'll lose me again."

Victoria bobbed her head. "They all are."

Emily worked her jaw. "And… I can't forget what happened. I can't pretend that nothing happened, you know?"

Victoria tilted her head. "Don't. What happened to you was traumatizing. Don't forget and don't pretend. But don't get stuck on the past, either. You don't have to be okay 24/7. But reminding yourself constantly or burying it deep inside won't help you, either."

"I'm back. But I don't feel as if I've really come back, if that makes sense." Emily admitted.

"It does," said Victoria. "Maybe you need to plant some seeds. Dig in some roots. Make it more permanent that you're here, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Emily replied, frowning.

"Buy a house. Date. Look into starting a family. Make friends outside of work. Join a club. Get a dog or a cat. Something to keep you grounded. Something to make this place feel more like home." Victoria suggested.

Emily nodded. "That's actually a good idea," she said. "Although I don't think I'm quite ready for a family. But a house could work."

Victoria smiled. "I know dating and family talk is huge step. Given the massive changes you've had already, I wouldn't expect you to be ready for all of that."

Emily laughed. "I don't know if I ever will be," she said. Her smile faded. "To be honest, I wasn't sure if I like you being around."

Victoria wasn't surprised. "I know that the team didn't when I first arrived," she said. "I know I'm poking into deeply personal stuff. I'm an outsider. But I would like to think of you guys as my colleagues and hopefully my friends."

"Well, hanging out with you outside of work has helped. We should go get coffee sometime. Or I could use some new clothes. You could go shopping with me or something." Emily suggested.

Victoria felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'd like that, Emily."

Emily huffed. "So, tell me about yourself."

Victoria laughed. "I'm the counselor here!"

"Getting to know you better will help me open up." Emily bribed.

Victoria worked her jaw. She decided to bite. "There's not much to know about me. What do you want to know?"

"This boyfriend you have… He seems controlling." said Emily.

Victoria frowned. "I don't hear a question in that statement."

"Is he?" Emily prompted.

"Not really," said Victoria. She thought for a moment. _Wear something sexy. I need to read your messages._ "Well… He can be a bit of a dominant kind of guy. Alpha male sort of thing, you know?"

"Are you and Reid…?" Emily asked.

Victoria shook her head. "God, no. He's just a friend. We got coffee one morning. I told you this already."

"But Korey still thinks you're cheating." said Prentiss.

"Well, I've talk about Reid some… But I have about the team in general. He shouldn't see Reid as a threat, though. It's just a misunderstanding." Victoria said.

"Do you love Korey?" Emily asked.

Victoria blinked. "I…" She swallowed. "I don't know. I've never been very confident in relationships and love and stuff. So… I don't know. I think I do."

"Then you won't mind my saying this," said Emily, leaning forward. "A little jealousy is okay. But a lot can be dangerous. Be careful, Victoria. Don't dig a hole you can't get out of."

Victoria stared at Emily, feeling the color drain from her face. Her heart began to pound. She checked her watch. "Well, we're out of time. Send in Morgan, please."

Emily stood, frowning. But she didn't argue and left the office. Morgan entered a few seconds later and plopped into the armchair across from Victoria.

"How do you feel about Emily being back?" Victoria asked, scribbling down a few notes.

Morgan's eyebrows shot up. "Well, hello to you too, Parker."

Victoria sighed and stopped writing to give Morgan an exasperated look. "Hi, Morgan. How are you?" she said monotonously.

Morgan grinned. "I'm pretty good." he said. He sobered. "It's good to have her back."

"But you're afraid you'll lose her again." Victoria pointed out.

"Not so much anymore now that we've trained together. But yeah, some." Morgan said.

"I know it's easier said than done, but you have to accept the fact that death is out of your control. It might not even be Emily next time. This job is dangerous. It comes with the territory. It could be JJ, Reid, Hotch… Any of you. Death is an enemy you can't conquer until you accept it. Fighting it will only make you paranoid and angry." said Victoria.

Morgan nodded. "Anyone ever told you that you're wise for your age?"

Victoria grinned. "No, but thank you."

He tilted his head. "You okay? You seem a bit agitated."

Victoria nodded, pursing her lips. "I'm fine. How'd the ten hours of training with Prentiss go?"

"It went well. I can see that she can take care of herself. With each case it gets a bit better." said Morgan.

"Good," Victoria murmured, scratching down a note. "You're good to go. You can send in Rossi."

Victoria noticed Morgan frown out of her peripheral vision, but the man left the office without protest. Victoria sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Why did Prentiss have to say that about Korey?

Rossi sat across from Victoria. "Relationship trouble?" Rossi asked.

Victoria blinked. "What?"

"You're fiddling with your necklace. You only do that when you're stressed or upset. Usually you tell us what's going on, but you never talk about your relationship, even though you're in one. So, relationship trouble?" Rossi said.

Victoria hadn't even noticed she was fiddling with her necklace. She stopped. "Damn you profilers," she muttered. Rossi chuckled. Victoria inhaled deeply. "Korey gets jealous easily. And… Emily told me to be careful because too much jealousy isn't good. I just… I don't know. We're talking about marriage and stuff and I don't want him to get jealous over every guy friend I have."

Rossi nodded thoughtfully. "Are there any other red flags?"

"No," said Victoria. She blushed. "He's like freaking Prince Charming. A jealous Prince Charming."

Rossi raised an eyebrow. "IF that's his only major flaw, don't worry too much about it. If his jealousy gets to be too much, he can come talk to me and I'll set him straight."

Victoria grinned. "Thanks," she said. "So, how do you feel about Emily being back?"

"Well, it feels like old times. I already told you that I had suspected that something was up. I know we're all concerned we might lose her again, but that'll go away on its own, especially now that we're falling back into a routine. How do you feel about her being back?" said Rossi.

"It's weird. I didn't know her before. I'm just worried that if we do lose her again, that the team will be distraught and I won't be able to help." said Victoria.

"I think we can handle it. We're stronger than we think." Rossi said.

Victoria smiled. "Do you finally trust me?"

Rossi held his head high as he stood. "I don't know what you're talking about." he said. He winked and patted Victoria's knee before stepping out of the office.

Victoria continued with the sessions. Penelope was her bubbly self, glad to have her family whole again. Penelope invited Victoria over for dinner, which Victoria accepted. Hotch was relieved to not be holding that secret of Emily's anymore. Victoria was dreading Reid's session. She knew he knew something was wrong.

Spencer sat down. He watched Victoria with his lips twisting to one side thoughtfully. "So, you're not mad at them anymore?" Victoria asked.

"No," said Spencer. "I thought about it. I know they did it for the right reasons. And Emily lost us, too. And… It brought you to the team."

Victoria couldn't help but smile. "I'm glad I'm here, too."

Spencer cleared his throat. "So… Emily told me that, uh, your boyfriend thinks you're, um, cheating on him with, er, me?"

Victoria looked at him. "Emily told you?"

"Well… She thought I had, uh, the right to know." Spencer said, shifting awkwardly.

Victoria sighed and closed her binder of notes on the team. "Yeah, he does. But trust me, it's a misunderstanding. I mean, we got coffee once."

Spencer nodded. "Yeah, of course."

Victoria huffed. "He wants to read our conversation, though."

Spencer frowned. "We haven't said anything. We don't text much."

"Yeah, I know. I told him you're just a friend and not even a really close friend. There's nothing for him to worry about. He won't come knocking on your door, I swear." Victoria promised.

Spencer shrugged. "I wasn't worried about that," he said. Victoria grabbed her jacket and purse and led the way out of the office. She turned off the lights and locked the door. She walked with Spencer toward the elevator. Hotch had already left, so Victoria would show up early to work with his keys. "I just want to make sure that you're okay. You were pretty upset at the police station." Spencer said, hitting the button for the lobby.

"Oh," Victoria said. "Yeah, I'm great. I just need to talk to him."

"I'm guessing you don't want to get coffee with me tomorrow, then?" Spencer asked. He kept his voice casual, but to be frank with himself, he was kind of disappointed. He had wanted to get to know Victoria. She was pretty cool. She was smart, but goofy. She was pretty but nerdy. She was awkward but adventurous. She was unlike other girls. She seemed to have many layers to her.

"I never said that," said Victoria, frowning. The elevator dinged their arrival to the lobby. Victoria and Spencer walked to the parking lot. Spencer walked Victoria to her car. She looked at him and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow at Starbucks, okay?"

Spencer nodded and his lips twitched with a smile. "Okay."

…

Victoria handed her phone over to Korey, who read the messages from Spencer. There was nothing incriminating there, just stuff about work. Victoria wasn't nervous at all. She waited patiently. At last, Korey handed her phone back. She took it and stared him down. "Spencer is my friend and my colleague. You're going to have to trust me." she said.

Korey snorted. "What if I don't trust him? I've never met the guy."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "You want a picture?" she snapped. She opened up her work bag, flipped through Spencer's file until she arrived at a picture of him. She handed it over.

Korey stared at it for several seconds. "Oh."

"He's like a puppy, Korey," Victoria said. "You're hot. I only want you."

Korey handed the picture over to her and smirked. "Well… Do you want me to take you?" he drawled suggestively.

Nervousness knotted Victoria's stomach like a pretzel. "Korey… I told you… I'm not ready for that."

Korey huffed. "It was worth a shot."

Victoria relaxed. "Thank you for understanding."

"Yep." Korey said. He sounded disappointed.

"Hey," Victoria murmured. She wrapped her arms around Korey's waist and peered up at him. "I do want you. Sometimes I can hardly stand how much I want you. But… I'm just more traditional, okay?"

Korey smiled. "You're such a dork," he said. He kissed Victoria's lips. His blue eyes sparkled when he withdrew. "I'm in love with you."

Victoria's heart fluttered. She gaped up at him. "I-I'm in love with you too."

Korey grinned and kissed her full on the mouth again. After making out for a few minutes, Korey left. Victoria leaned against the door, her heart still pounding from that mind-blowing kiss. _Don't dig yourself into a hole you can't get out of._

"Shit."

…

"Let's play a game," said Victoria.

Spencer raised his eyebrows at her over the brim of his coffee. He set down his drink. "Okay, what game?"

"It's just an icebreaker," said Victoria with a shrug. "Really, I'm just going to ask you a bunch of questions."

Spencer smiled. "Okay." he chuckled.

"Well, if we're friends, we've gotta know each other, right?" Victoria said, grinning.

Spencer nodded. "Right. What kind of stuff do you want to know?"

Victoria screwed up her face in thought. "Hm… What's your favorite color?"

Spencer laughed. He'd been expecting her to ask a harder question. "Green. But I also really like purple. You?"

"Aquamarine," said Victoria.

"That's really specific," said Spencer.

"Don't judge," Victoria chided playfully. "Favorite food?"

Spencer thought for a moment. "Coffee."

"That's not a food," Victoria laughed.

Spencer grinned. "Chicken fried lobster."

Victoria's amusement vanished. She looked bewildered. "Chicken… Fried… Lobster?"

"I get in Las Vegas with my mom a lot." Spencer explained.

Victoria laughed. "I have never heard of chicken fried lobster. It sounds… Interesting."

Spencer grinned. "What's yours?"

"Um, anything with carbs," Victoria said. Spencer chuckled. Victoria shrugged. "If I had to pick… Macaroni and cheese."

"Good choice," said Spencer.

Victoria winked. "Hm… What is your favorite… animal?"

Spencer frowned. "I'm not sure I have one," he said. "Domestic, wild or fantasy?"

"Uh, all three." Victoria said.

Spencer laughed. "Um, for domestic I'd say… I guess dogs… Wild… I'd have to say giraffe. They're pretty elegant. And fantasy… I honestly have no idea."

"For domestic, mine would be dog I guess… Although I think my spirit animal is a cat, but I don't really believe in spirit animals so… Anyway, for wild, I really like tigers. For fantasy, I'd have to say dragon. Or maybe phoenix." Victoria said.

"Good choice." said Spencer.

They went on like this for an hour, asking each other simple questions. It was the most fun Spencer'd had in a while. Victoria was actually pretty cool. She liked riding her bike, swimming and riding horses. She enjoyed doing something creative every day. She was also a fan of animated children's films and horror movies. Spencer had found that a bit contradictory, but also thought it was cool.

"I like finding obscure horror movies and watching them," said Victoria. "Some of them, in fact most of them, end up being horribly stupid. Every now and then I find a really good one."

"I don't watch a lot of contemporary films." said Spencer.

"That doesn't surprise me," said Victoria, rolling her eyes. "You should come over sometime and watch an obscure scary movie. Or a classic one, like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Although that's mainly gore porn, which I'm not a huge fan of… But yeah. It could be fun."

"Yeah, I'd like that." Spencer said.

"I'm actually excited because my brothers got this game that's an RPG that's supposed to simulate a horror film. You play as eight different characters and make decisions on how to survive the night." said Victoria.

"That sounds pretty cool, actually," said Spencer, furrowing his brow. "What's it called?"

"Until Dawn," said Victoria. "I watched a trailer for it and… You know what? I'll show you." Victoria got out her phone and opened up the YouTube app. She found a trailer and sat next to Spencer on his armchair. She was extremely close, squished against him in the small space of the chair. But it wasn't uncomfortable. Spencer frowned as he watched the character moving around a house, sleuthing like they do in horror films. A masked figure starting chasing her. Two options appeared on the screen: run or hide. The player selected run, so the character did.

"They don't give you much time to make decisions," said Spencer. "Which makes sense, because in real time, you wouldn't have much time to."

Victoria pulled away and sat across from him again. "Yeah, I think it looks really cool. You should come over and play it with me. Help me make some decisions on how to survive, Mr. Know-It-All."

Spencer pressed his lips together. "You're on."

Victoria widened her eyes. "Really?"

Spencer's smile faded. "Uh, is that okay?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't sure if you'd want to or not." Victoria said.

Spencer shrugged. "It sounds… fun."

Victoria tilted her head. "Does it?"

"It does," Spencer insisted. "It's different from what I'd normally do."

"And if you don't like it, we can always watch a movie or something." said Victoria.

"As long as it's some obscure horror film." said Spencer.

Victoria grinned. "Agreed."

Spencer's phone buzzed. He checked it. "There's a case."

"Oh, crap," Victoria muttered.

"What is it?" Spencer asked.

"I forgot to give Hotch his keys. He's probably locked out of his office right now." Victoria said.

Spencer chuckled. "I'm sure he could've gotten in somehow. Let's go."

Victoria nodded and stood. Spencer glanced at her. She wore a rich green dress and navy tights and matching heels. She pulled on a navy coat and flipped her blonde hair around as she shouldered her bag. Her glasses glinted whenever they caught the light. Spencer looked away from her. He hoped that Korey was treating her well.

 **…**

 **Sorry for the language… I will warn you guys that the language might get worse. If it bothers you, don't read. That's one reason I'm considering changing the rating from T to M, but it probably won't until later… Much later, actually.**

 **To the Guest who reviewed: Wow, that is a huge compliment! I'm usually picky about ReidxOC as well, so I thought I'd write my own. Thank you so much for your kind words and review!**

 **Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter!**


	7. Chapter 7

**_True Genius_**

The next few months flew by. Victoria had developed a close friendship with Emily and Penelope. Yet, she was closest to Spencer. The two had become nearly inseparable. Spencer spent most of his Friday evenings at Victoria's house. They watched a lot of horror films with the occasional Pixar or Disney. Victoria was careful not to mention her friendship with Spencer to Korey. She had amended things with her boyfriend and now they were seriously considering marriage.

Spencer was fantastic with Victoria's brothers. Jason and Seth taught Spencer their video games, and often the four of them played until the wee hours. Victoria was pleased that her brothers looked up to Spencer, who she thought was an excellent role model. Both of the boys' fathers were not really in the picture, so it was good for them to have an adult male to look up to. Victoria didn't tell Spencer that, though. She told Spencer practically everything, but she kept her family to herself. Spencer wasn't too open about his past, either. He had admitted to his drug addiction before, but he hadn't gone into too much detail. But Victoria didn't press him. His past didn't matter. He mattered.

As October rolled around, Victoria tried to figure out the perfect gift for Spencer's birthday. The ninth was approaching quickly, and she wanted it to be special. Victoria frowned and dialed Spencer's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Hey," he said.

"So, I was thinking that since you love Halloween so much, that we could do something Halloweenish for your birthday. Or I could take you to dinner. Or something. What do you think?" Victoria said, looking at a birthday card.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Spencer.

"Well, have you been to any of the haunted houses in town?" asked Victoria.

"Actually I haven't." said Spencer.

"Is that something you'd be interested in or not?" Victoria replied.

"Sure. But you kind of spoiled the surprise." said Spencer.

Victoria grinned. "I might have something else up my sleeve," she teased. "You never know. So how does Friday sound? And is it okay if my brothers come? I don't want them to be left at home for too long."

"Of course they can come," said Spencer. "And Friday is perfect if we're not on a case."

"Fingers crossed," said Victoria. "Talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," said Spencer. Victoria hung up. She grinned to herself as she went to the checkout lane of Target.

…

Spencer smiled. It was nice of Victoria for wanting to do something special for him for his birthday. Other than Morgan and JJ, she was his closest friend on the team. Her brothers had become his brothers. But Victoria was more than a sister to him. He really enjoyed her company. She was fun to be around, especially when watching movies. Whenever something bizarre happened, she'd turn to Spencer and demand, "Can that really happen?!" Spencer would then explain if it could or couldn't and why. He didn't feel bad when he rambled, because Victoria seemed to enjoy his rambling facts.

Victoria had reduced her traveling with the team to every other case that was out of town. Whenever she didn't venture with the team, it felt strange. Spencer had grown used to her presence. He had grown used to her keeping him company whilst he profiled geographically. When she wasn't traveling with the team, she stayed with Garcia. The only time Spencer would get to see and talk to her was whenever Garcia Skyped the team or called them with information. Spencer received a text from Hotch. There was a case and it was out of town. Spencer frowned. Victoria wouldn't be attending this trip, as she had the previous case. Spencer grabbed his go bag and headed for the BAU.

…

Victoria watched as the team grabbed their stuff to head to the jet hangar. Spencer waited in the conference room for the rest of the team to disperse. Victoria handed Spencer an envelope. "Happy birthday," she said.

Spencer smiled as he accepted the card. "You're the first to say it, thank you." He opened up the letter and looked at the card. He grinned. It was a picture of a T-rex stretching its little arms and saying, "I love you this much!" He opened the card. Victoria waited patiently for Spencer to read the message she'd scribbled. She remembered it quite well, as she'd written it on a different sheet of paper beforehand.

 _Spence-_

 _Happy birthday! I've really enjoyed getting to know you these past few months. I don't know how I got on in life without your random monologues about God knows what… Seriously though, I love you. In just a few months, you have become one of my closest friends. I love you, dork!_

 _-Victoria_

 _P.S. They didn't have any actual birthday cards that I liked, so that's why the card says I love you and not happy birthday. So… Yeah._

Victoria watched Spencer's reaction closely. It shouldn't be taking him this long to read the card. He could read an encyclopedia in an hour. "Spence?" Victoria prompted.

Spencer looked up from the card, an odd look on his face. "This is really sweet."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "It's so dumb."

Spencer shook his head. "No, I love it. Thank you."

Victoria shrugged, brushing it off. "No problem."

Spencer pulled Victoria into a hug. "You're one of my closest friends too, you know."

"I know, because I'm awesome." Victoria joked. The hug lingered for a few seconds. Victoria pulled away. "Happy birthday, Spence. I'll see you Friday hopefully."

"If not, we'll just reschedule for Saturday. Or Sunday. Whichever I'm free for." said Spencer, smiling.

"Be safe. Don't do anything too dangerous, please." said Victoria.

Spencer nodded. "Okay. See you later."

"Bye." Victoria replied. Spencer left the conference room. Victoria scrunched her lips together in disappointment. She always felt bored when Spencer was away on a case. She trekked to Garcia's office.

"Baby V," chirped Penelope. She handed Victoria a mug of steaming liquid. "Green tea with honey, just the way you like it."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Pen."

"Of course, my love," said Penelope. She twiddled with a pen. "So… What's up?"

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked after sipping from her beverage.

"You're unusually quiet." said Penelope.

"I'm always quiet," Victoria pointed out.

"Not with me," Penelope said. "What's going on?"

Victoria set down her drink and fished in her jacket pocket. She pulled out an engagement ring. "Korey proposed the other night."

"Holy shit is that real?" demanded Penelope, snatching the ring away. The diamond was pretty big.

"I hope so," Victoria chuckled as Penelope handed the ring back. "I haven't told the rest of the team yet."

"Oh, I'm so happy you told me first! I'm so excited. When are you having the wedding?" Penelope asked.

"I don't know yet. Next spring some time is sort of what we're going for. It's Korey's favorite time of year." said Victoria.

"Isn't it supposed to be your day?" Penelope queried.

"It's our day," said Victoria. She huffed. "Don't say anything to the rest of the team. I want to be the one to tell them."

Penelope hugged Victoria. "I'm so happy for you! I promise I won't say a word. I better be one of your bridesmaids. I know where you live."

Victoria laughed. "I haven't even begun to think about planning yet. I guess I should start soon."

"Duh," said Penelope. "Oh, I gotta call the team for the case. They should be on the jet by now." She readied her computer for video chat. The team answered.

"Go ahead Garcia," said Hotch.

Victoria sat quietly, not listening to the team discuss the case. She merely observed the team's interaction. They definitely weren't rogue. Just extremely loyal to each other. But Victoria was going to be careful with her wording in her report. She didn't want "extreme loyalty" to be translated to "will sacrifice country to the dark lord Cthulhu and therefore must be terminated." Victoria giggled to herself at the idea of Hotch dancing around a bonfire for Cthulhu.

Penelope swiveled in her chair to look at Victoria. "What's so funny?"

Victoria looked up, realizing the entire team had heard her. "Nothing."

"Not writing bad things about us in those reports, are you sweetheart?" said Morgan. Spencer was peering at Victoria through the camera, but he was sitting too far away to really talk to her, so he merely waved.

"Yep. I'm saying they might as well exterminate you little traitors." Victoria replied nonchalantly.

Morgan smirked and shook his head. "We'll take you down with us." called Rossi.

Victoria stuck her nose into the air. "You can try."

Garcia grinned and signed off. She turned to Victoria. "Wanna go out Friday night?"

Victoria frowned. "I can't. I have plans with Spence."

"Is something going on between the two of you?" Garcia said, tilting her head suggestively.

Victoria smacked Garcia's arm playfully. "Of course not, weirdo. He's just my friend."

"You guys hang out a lot." said Garcia.

Victoria shrugged. "Friends do that."

…

Spencer frowned, feeling a bit miffed. It was the next day of the case. The team had forgotten his birthday. The only person who had done anything was Victoria. He worked his jaw, shaking off his disappointment. They were on a case. What was the team going to do anyway? They were busy.

His phone buzzed with an incoming text. Spencer checked it. It was from Victoria.

 _Are you okay?_

 _Yeah, why?_

 _Haven't heard from you all day. Usually you check in._

 _I'm okay._ Spencer paused before sending the text. He decided to go ahead and tell Victoria what had happened the other day. _The unsub contacted me with a letter._

 _What?! What did it say? Are you in danger?_

Spencer suppressed a smile as he typed back a reply. _I'm fine. Just challenging my intelligence, that's all._

 _Haha, well I think you'll win this one._

Spencer smiled. _Thanks. And thanks again for your card._

 _No problem, seriously. What else did you get?_

Spencer pursed his lips. _The team forgot._

 _Damn. I'm sorry, Spence._

 _It's okay. They're busy._

 _They didn't even say happy birthday?_

 _No. It's okay though. My mom called me and talked to me for a bit._

 _Well that's good. How's she doing?_

 _She's doing pretty well. She misses me. Wants me to visit._

 _Too bad there aren't any killers in Vegas right now._ Spencer raised his eyebrows. Another text from Victoria shot through. _That came out wrong._

 _I was about to say…_ Spencer teased. _I knew what you meant._

 _I have something to tell you._

Spencer frowned. _What is it?_

 _I'm pregnant. It's yours._

Spencer rolled his eyes and grinned. _Very funny._

 _You got me. That would be physically impossible. Like the Immaculate Conception or something. I really do have to tell you something important. But it might be better if it were in person…_

 _Is everything okay? Korey isn't getting onto you about hanging out with me, is he?_

 _No. Everything's fine. Just a head's up._

 _Okay…?_

 _Well, I'll let you get back to catching the non-Zodiac guy. Just making sure you're okay._

 _Thank you. I'll let you know if anything comes up._

 _Hey Spence, please be careful. If he contacted you… I'd be very disappointed if we had to cancel our plans this weekend because you got hurt or something._

Spencer smiled. _I promise I'll be careful._ He put his phone away and began working on the geographical profile once more.

…

"Baby V!" Penelope chirped. Victoria paused in her walk toward a meeting.

"What is it?" Victoria asked, frowning.

"They're on their way back. Our babies are safe and sound. Reid had a little takedown with the unsub, but he's all good. Where are you headed? You're all dressed up." Penelope said.

Victoria pinched her brows together. "Spence had a takedown? He's okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He just talked the unsub down, that's all. Where are you going?" Penelope replied.

"I have my first meeting with Cramer." said Victoria.

"Cramer? As in that chairman guy?" Penelope said.

"Yeah. It's my meeting with him about you guys." said Victoria.

"You look like you're going to court." said Penelope, observing Victoria's outfit. She wore dark grey slacks, a red top and a white blazer. Her heels were red and white checkered with a little bow near the toes. Her hair was curled but pulled out of her face. She was wearing more makeup than usual, too.

"I basically am," said Victoria. "I have to defend the team."

Penelope beamed. "Let me know how it goes. Good luck."

"Thanks. See you later." Victoria replied. She headed off for the meeting.

…

"How are your headaches?"

Spencer swallowed. "Much better, thank you. I'm not as stressed anymore, too."

"Good. Happy birthday, by the way. I know I'm a bit late."

"Thank you," said Spencer, beaming. He felt himself blush a little bit. "How are things with you?"

"Still getting those random phone calls. Spencer… I think you need to start calling me from a different number. I don't want my stalker to find you."

Spencer nodded slowly. "Maeve, are you sure you don't want help? My team can help you."

"I'm sure. Don't get involved, okay?" said Maeve.

"Okay," Spencer replied. But he didn't like it. "I'll start calling you from phone booths, okay?"

"We should keep the calls to a minimum, too. What day are you usually free?" Maeve asked.

Spencer thought for a split second. Fridays he usually spent with Victoria, provided he wasn't on a case. Saturdays he was usually free… Sundays worked best, though. "Sunday."

"Great. Listen, I'm sorry it has to be this way. I just don't want him to find you." Maeve murmured.

Spencer cleared his throat. "Yeah. Of course. I don't mind at all. I just… Are you sure you're okay?"

Maeve laughed. It was a surprisingly beautiful sound. "Spencer, I'm fine. Listen, I have to go. I'll talk to you Sunday, okay?"

"Okay." said Spencer, disappointment settling in the pit of his chest.

"Bye, Spencer." said Maeve.

"Bye, Maeve." Spencer replied. He hung up and let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He grabbed his bags and headed for the jet, grinning to himself.

…

"In your observations of the team dynamics, did they seem dysfunctional in any way to you?" Chairman Cramer asked.

"No sir." said Victoria.

"You mentioned their loyalty to one another. Would you say that they would use that loyalty against their oaths? Would they put each other before the Bureau?" demanded Cramer.

Victoria had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "No sir."

"Their behavior doesn't seem to concern you in the slightest." said Cramer.

"Sir, what behavior are you referring to? They do their jobs well, and they do it with honor. Just because they're loyal to each other doesn't mean they're a rogue team. I'm sure you've heard of the term 'brothers in arms'?" Victoria said.

Cramer scowled at her. "Watch the attitude, Agent Parker. It was a privilege that we allowed you to remain as the team's counselor. Don't let your biasness blind you in your work. You are not one of them. You are there for the sole purpose of analyzing their every move. When your two years are up, you will be transferred back to your department. Do you understand?"

Victoria looked at her hands. "Yes sir."

"Good. Thank you for the report. We will meet again in three months." said Cramer.

Victoria grabbed her things and left the room. She headed toward the BAU's bullpen, a sense of dread overcoming her. Two years was a long way off. Right? She had two years with the team. Cramer was right. She wasn't one of them. She was an outsider looking in. She didn't help solve cases. She observed the team. Once they no longer needed her as their babysitter, she would return to her department and wait for either another team to analyze, or act as a counselor for anyone who needed to talk. The team was like her family. She had finally started to feel like one of them… She still had two years. And it wasn't like she wouldn't ever see them again, right?

But what if she wasn't one of them…? Even Garcia helped solve cases. They'd all been through so much together. Victoria was just… there. She wasn't important to the team. She wasn't a vital member. She had examined their relationship and gone over the cases they'd solved. She'd seen how they'd worked tirelessly to save Hotch's wife. They had failed, but they'd been there for each other. She'd looked over Spencer's case, when he had been kidnapped. The team hadn't rested until they'd saved Spencer. When Spencer had tried to work a personal case, the team had helped on their own time to take care of their family member. The team would go to hell and back for each other. Victoria was like a third wheel to the team. Not even third… More like ninth! They didn't need her like they needed each other.

"Parker! Come on!" called Morgan from the conference room. Victoria blinked. A tear fell from her eye and splashed on her cheek. She wiped it away and entered the conference room. There was a cake, presents… Spencer was grinning from ear to ear. He blew out the candles to his cake. The team cheered and clapped for him. Victoria smiled sadly and clapped.

Penelope zeroed in on Victoria and was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong?" Penelope whispered.

"Nothing," Victoria said out of the corner of her mouth. JJ began cutting the cake and divvying it out to the team.

"How'd the meeting go?" Penelope asked.

"What meeting?" Morgan said, taking a bite of cake. Spencer looked over curiously.

Victoria realized the whole team was staring at her. She cleared her throat. "I had to meet with Cramer about you guys."

Prentiss cringed. "He didn't give you too hard a time, did he? You look a little upset."

Victoria felt her face go red as the team instantly looked concerned. "Oh, no. It was just stressful. I'm okay. Really."

Spencer frowned but didn't say anything. Garcia elbowed Victoria when an awkward silence began to develop. "Tell them!" Garcia hissed.

"Tell us what?" Morgan asked, frowning.

Victoria braved a smile. She sought her ring out of her pocket and put it on. "Korey and I got engaged."

"Congratulations!" cried JJ, jumping up. She hugged Victoria.

Victoria was yanked this way and that into hug after hug. She grinned, feeling a bit better. She showed off her ring. JJ, Penelope and Emily started asking about wedding planning. Victoria was happy to talk about something other than her meeting. She glanced at Spencer out of the corner of her eye. Despite his birthday party, he seemed a little troubled. Victoria made a mental note to ask him about it when the time was right.

…

Spencer made his way to his car, his stomach full of cake and his arms full of gifts. Victoria was engaged. Huh. He wasn't sure why he was disappointed, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling.

"Spence!" called Victoria. Spencer turned. Victoria hurried toward him, her red and white heels clacking on the ground. "Let me help you carry." Victoria didn't wait for Spencer to object. She took some of the load from his arms.

"Thanks," Spencer said. "What was it you were going to tell me?"

"Oh," said Victoria. "That I got engaged."

"Oh," said Spencer. Why had she warned him beforehand if she were just going to tell the whole team? "Did you warn everyone else?"

"Actually, I wasn't planning on telling the team today. Just you." said Victoria.

"So why did you?" Spencer asked, frowning. He unlocked his car and popped the trunk. Victoria set his gifts into the trunk before answering.

"Garcia kinda put me on the spot," she said. "Are you okay? You looked kind of sad earlier." said Victoria.

Spencer raised his eyebrows. "Me? I'm great." He considered telling her about Maeve, but decided against it.

Victoria looked as if she didn't quite believe him. "Okay… See you Friday, I guess." She turned away.

"Victoria," Spencer said, grabbing Victoria by the arm. She looked at him, her eyes rounded in concern. "I've just been questioning if joining the FBI was really… I've been afraid that I've let myself down. But I've been feeling better. Emily helped out."

Victoria nodded. "Oh," she croaked. "Well… I think what you do is great. The fact that you choose to do this, despite its low pay and overall shitty-ness is really admirable, Spence. Kind of makes you a hero."

Spencer looked at the ground sheepishly. "Thank you," he muttered. He frowned and peered at Victoria in concern. "Your turn."

It was Victoria's turn to frown. "What?"

"You're upset about something. What's wrong?" Spencer prompted.

Victoria inhaled deeply. "Cramer got onto me in the meeting," she admitted. Spencer waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"What'd he say?" Spencer asked.

"He said that I need to watch my attitude and to not be biased." said Victoria with a shrug.

Spencer frowned. Victoria wasn't telling the whole truth. "And?"

"That's all." Victoria said.

Spencer sighed. "Victoria, I know you pretty well. Someone telling you to mind your attitude would not get under your skin like this. What else did he say?"

Victoria stared at the ground. "He said I'm not really part of the team," she muttered. She looked up. Spencer was taken aback to see tears in her eyes. "He's right, too. What do I do but watch? You guys don't need me. You didn't need me before and you don't need me now. I'm just your babysitter."

Spencer frowned. "Victoria, that is not true. You've helped us tremendously. You're protecting us from Cramer. If it weren't for you, the team probably would either be suspended, terminated or dispersed. You've kept us together by singing our praises in those reports. And we all love you. You really think we don't consider you one of us?"

Victoria shrugged. "I don't know, Spence. I'm not a profiler."

"We study behavior, Victoria. We don't read minds," said Spencer. He softened. "You're my best friend, Victoria. I heard Garcia telling Emily that they'd have to fight to be your maid of honor at your wedding. You're very much a part of this family."

Victoria smiled, though she still looked sad. "Thank you, Spence. That makes me feel better."

Spencer nodded. "You're welcome."

Victoria sighed. "I only have two years with the team."

"What?" Spencer said, frowning.

"I'm only here for two years. And then I go back to my department." said Victoria.

Spencer felt his heart sink. "Oh," he mumbled. "Well… That's still a long time."

"Yeah," said Victoria. She squared her shoulders. "I should get home. The boys want me to cook tonight."

"Yeah," said Spencer. "I'll see you Friday."

Victoria smiled and hugged Spencer goodbye. She trekked across the parking lot to her car. Spencer climbed into his own, but he didn't feel like driving yet. Two years… It seemed like a long time, but he knew how fast time flew. Victoria would be gone before he knew it. And he didn't want that to happen.

…

"Please no cussing or hitting the actors Have fun, guys." said the admittance worker. She waved Victoria, Spencer, Seth and Jason into the haunted attraction. Victoria led the way. A strobe light flickered. Grisly decorations littered the dark room. Victoria glanced back at her companions.

"Just letting you guys know, I can't see." she warned them. She turned back to face the front. A person wearing a hideous mask jumped out from the darkness and screamed at her. Victoria jumped backward with a yelp. Spencer laughed. Victoria giggled and led her group onward through the attraction. A girl with her makeup done to make it look like her face was rotting off zoomed toward Victoria and snarled. "Jinkies!" Victoria cried.

Someone jumped at Seth. "Like, zoinks, Scoob!" he yelled. Victoria laughed. She continued to lead through the maze of the attraction. The people in masks jumped out at Victoria and her friends, screaming bloody murder. A girl covered in fake blood crawled toward them.

"Help me! Please help me!" she shrieked.

Victoria paused. "I don't like it when they're on the floor." she muttered. She stepped around the girl.

A large man charged at Spencer, who scuttled closer to Victoria in surprise. Victoria giggled. She continued on through a dark hallway. Weird cobweb decorations hung from the ceiling and caught on her hair and clothes. Hands reached through the boarded walls, attempting to grab her. A man jumped out at her. Victoria leapt backward, slamming into Spencer with a squeal. She laughed at herself.

"Sorry, Spence!" she called.

"No problem," Spencer replied. Victoria led her group into a pitch black room. She paused. She hated the dark.

"Um…" she said, widening her eyes. She grabbed Spencer's hand. "You lead."

Spencer raised his eyebrows at her but didn't object. He strode into the darkness. With her free hand, Victoria grabbed Seth's hand, who grudgingly grabbed Jason's at Victoria's request. The four navigated the darkness with actors jumping out at them to scare them. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't that she was scared of the dark, it was just that… Okay. She was scared of the dark. Not that she was going to admit it. She tried to be brave, but the something about the dark really unnerved her. She was pretty proud of herself for leading thus far.

"Oh, fresh meat!" cried a woman, getting up in Spencer's face. The woman sidled off.

"It's your girlfriend, Spence!" cried Jason.

"Ha ha!" Spencer called back sarcastically.

Victoria realized she was still holding Spencer's hand. She let go. Spencer glanced back at her but didn't say anything about it. Victoria blanched. Oh God… Did he think she liked him or something? She hoped not, because she didn't. Well she did, but just as a friend. Finally, Victoria could see the exit.

"We made it!" Seth cried.

The revving of a chainsaw stopped Victoria cold in her tracks. "Oh, shit!" yelled Jason. He took off for the exit, sprinting straight past the chainsaw wielder and through the exit. Seth followed him with an uncharacteristic high-pitched scream. Spencer started for the exit but hesitated. He looked at Victoria, laughing hysterically. Victoria was staring at the clown's face, the chainsaw held high.

"Hehehehehehe!" the clown shrieked. He charged toward Victoria, but she was frozen.

Spencer grabbed Victoria's hand and hauled her toward the exit. "C'mon!" he laughed. They burst out of the haunted house and into the cool evening air, gasping for breath. Victoria recovered from her shock and laughed at herself. Spencer grinned. "That was fun. Thank you for bringing me here."

Victoria raised an eyebrow at him. "The night's still young, Spence. C'mon, let's head to my house."

…

Victoria's brothers charged upstairs to their temporary game room. Victoria had an armful of blankets. "Spence," she called. Spencer was busy staring at a piece of artwork. It was one of Victoria's, a painting of a lake beside a mountain. It was pretty good. Spencer walked away from the painting and followed Victoria out the back door of her house. She led Spencer toward her pasture. They walked in silence for a while. Spencer squinted when he saw something glowing in the distance. When they arrived at it, Spencer realized it was a fire pit. Two chairs were positioned around the fire. Victoria tossed Spencer a blanket. Spencer noticed Victoria had a bag slung over her shoulder. She opened the bag and withdrew supplies to make s'mores and two thermoses. She handed a thermos to Spencer. "Hot cocoa and s'mores." Victoria announced.

Spencer stared at the scene. He beamed. "Victoria… This is incredible," he said. Victoria shrugged. But Spencer was touched. "I mean it. This is awesome. Thank you."

Victoria plopped into a chair and spread the blanket over legs. She grabbed a marshmallow and stabbed it with a hanger she'd straightened out and hovered the marshmallow over the fire. "You're welcome. Happy birthday, Spence. I know it's not a phantasmagoria, but hey."

Spencer readied a marshmallow and sat in the other chair. "This has been really fun," he assured her. He raised his eyebrows at her. "You're afraid of the dark. And clowns."

Victoria looked at him. She opened her mouth, looking as if she were about to argue, then closed it. She stared at the fire. "Yeah, I am."

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know," said Victoria, making a face.

"I'm scared of the dark, too." said Spencer.

Victoria cringed. "I'm sorry! I wouldn't have made you lead if I'd known that."

"Victoria, if it were a big deal, I wouldn't be in the FBI." Spencer chuckled.

Victoria giggled. "Yeah, I guess not."

They settled into a comfortable silence for a while. "So… You're getting married."

"Yeah." Victoria didn't sound too thrilled.

"Are you okay?" Spencer queried.

"Just… Thinking." said Victoria. She didn't elaborate.

Spencer decided he wanted to know what she was thinking about. "About what?"

"I wish I were better at deciphering my feelings." Victoria admitted.

Spencer frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that," said Victoria. "I've never been really good about figuring out how I'm feeling, you know? Or I always doubt myself."

"I understand." said Spencer.

Victoria smiled grimly. "For a while, I was stuck on finding 'the one' and all that. And then I started dating Korey. It's been great… I just… I thought there would be some sort of sign, I guess."

"The probability of finding a soul mate is very rare, Victoria. You can be compatible with so many different people that it's highly unlikely. Most couples who view their partner as their soul mate end up being unhappier than the ones who view their partner as someone they grow with." said Spencer gently.

Victoria nodded. "I know," she said. "I'm not saying I believe in soul mates. I used to be really naïve. When I was thirteen, y'know? After my parents got divorced, I started having anxiety attacks. For the most part, I can handle them now. And they don't really hit me as often. But I still have them. I don't know why I'm telling you this."

Spencer's eyes rounded in concern. "I have really bad headaches occasionally. They were really bad at one point. But all the doctors said I was fine. I was terrified that I was developing schizophrenia because it's genetic, and it usually presents itself around my age."

Victoria's eyes were sad. "I'm sorry, Spence."

Spencer shrugged. "I've passed the age now. And my headaches have lessened. Did you have an anxiety attack recently?"

Victoria shook her head. "No," she said. "Well, a few weeks ago, after Korey accused me of cheating. My dad cheated on my mom. That's why they got divorced. I just… I don't want to turn into my dad. I'm so scared that one day my marriage will collapse, too. I'm terrified of being cheated on, or that I will. I'm scared that there's just another layer to me, waiting to come out…"

Spencer gazed at Victoria. He wasn't sure what to say. "Victoria… You're not like that. You would never do that to someone you love."

"That's the thing, though," said Victoria, sniffling. "How do you know you love someone?"

Spencer opened and closed his mouth. He could give her the science of love. He could give her statistics of relationships. But he knew that she didn't need that. "I don't know."

Victoria smiled, but her eyes flashed with bitterness. "I don't think love is an emotion," she stated. Spencer raised his eyebrows. "Because emotions are fleeting. And if love is an emotion then… all relationships are doomed."

Spencer let a long breath. He didn't often see this philosophical side of Victoria. He enjoyed it, though. "I don't have all the answers, Victoria. But… I agree with you."

Victoria chuckled. "Dr. Reid finally doesn't have an answer," she said, shaking her head in amusement. Her laughter faded. "Can I tell you something that I haven't told anyone?"

Spencer shifted. "Of course."

Victoria stared into the flames. Spencer wondered if Victoria knew that her marshmallow had caught fire and fallen into the inferno. Spencer realized his had as well. "I don't know why I said yes to marry Korey." Victoria admitted.

Spencer looked up sharply. "Do you love him?"

Victoria sighed. "I don't know," she confessed. "When I'm with him, it's almost magical, as corny as it sounds. I get that flutter in my chest, he makes me feel sexy, and he makes me laugh…" Victoria trailed off, sounding embarrassed. "But we're not really friends, you know? If I think about it, we don't really know each other."

Spencer puffed out a breath. "You should tell him."

Victoria flinched. "I don't want to hurt him."

"You'll hurt him more if you don't say anything." said Spencer gently.

"You're right," Victoria sighed. She was quiet for a long time. She chuckled. "I'm sorry, Spence. This was supposed to be fun."

Spencer smiled. "No, I've enjoyed this. I'm glad you told me this."

Victoria met his gaze. "You're my best friend, Spence. Thanks for not being terrified of me."

Spencer made a face. "Why would I be terrified of you?"

Victoria shrugged. "I'm weird?"

"Well, so am I," said Spencer. He grabbed another marshmallow from the bag. "Thank you for doing this for me. I've had a lot of fun tonight."

Victoria pursed her lips. She stabbed a marshmallow and then began to roast it. "No problem," she said. "Bet I can eat more s'mores than you."

Spencer grinned. "You're on."

 **…**

 **Slowly but surely developing… Haha. Happy late Halloween everybody! Thank you so much for the support for this story!**

 **Guest: Wow, thank you! I was hoping Korey was realistic… You have calmed my fears! Thank you so much for your review! It made my day reading it!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought by leaving a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hit and Run_**

Victoria smirked as she sipped from her glass of wine. "Oooookayyyy," sang Penelope, setting down her glass of wine, "let's play a game."

"What game?" giggled Emily.

"Truth or dare," said Penelope.

"'m too drunk for dares," said JJ, shaking her head.

"Never have I ever then," said Penelope.

"I'm game," said Victoria. She giggled to herself. "Get it? Because we're about to play a game?"

Emily laughed a little too loudly, but was too intoxicated to notice. "Okay, okay, okay. I'll ask first," she said, frowning in thought. "Never have I ever…"

"Let's make it interesting," said Penelope. She wobbled out of the room and returned with shot glasses and tequila. "If you've done it, you take a shot."

"Good idea!" said Emily. Penelope poured the first round of shots and distributed them to the girls.

"Never have I ever fallen asleep at the movies." Emily said.

"Damn," said JJ. She took a shot of tequila. Penelope sighed and followed suit. Victoria scowled and took a shot, too.

"All of you seriously?" Emily laughed.

"It was a late night showing and I'd already seen the movie." said Victoria, shrugging.

"Okay, I have one," said Penelope. "Never have I ever gone streaking."

Emily groaned and took a shot. JJ poured herself another shot and chugged it. "JJ's turning out to be the wild one." said Victoria with a giggle.

JJ rolled her eyes. "I got paid a hundred bucks for it."

"I did it because I was drunk." said Emily.

"Never have I ever… I can't think of any," said JJ. She pulled out her phone and found a list online. She laughed. "Here's one: Never have I ever put someone's hand in warm water to see if it would make them pee."

Victoria poured herself a shot. Penelope and Emily laughed. "It didn't work." Victoria mumbled before taking her shot.

"Okay, I have a question," said Penelope. "Who do you think is attractive on the team?"

"Hotch," said JJ.

"Hotch," agreed Emily. "And Morgan."

"Morgan, my chocolate thunder." said Penelope dreamily.

"Spencer." Victoria admitted.

Penelope giggled. "I knew it! You two are always together and hanging out!"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "As _friends_ ," she insisted. "I said I think he's cute, not that I'm in love with him. Don't tell him, please."

"We won't," JJ promised. "Why don't you two just get together?"

"Um, hello?" said Victoria, lifting her left hand where her engagement ring glittered. "Did you listen to a word I said? Spence and I are just friends."

"Yeah but Korey is an asshole," said Emily.

"He's not!" Victoria insisted. Emily scowled at her. Victoria rolled her eyes. "You hate him because he upset me that one time, Em. He hasn't done anything since!"

"It's only a matter of time," said Emily. "Why not dump him for Reid? The two of you would be great together. You're best friends. Just sprinkle in a little romance and you guys have a great relationship going."

"Yeah," slurred JJ. "The two of you would be great together."

"I love Korey," insisted Victoria. "Besides, Spence doesn't think of me that way. Korey really is great, you guys. Sure, he's got his flaws, but every guy does. All I said was that I think Spencer is cute. I didn't say that I wanted to be with him!"

"But… You guys are so cute…" whined Penelope.

Victoria cringed. "The thought of romance with Spencer is weird."

"I dunno," drawled Emily. "I think there's real love there."

Victoria laughed. "Yeah, right." She couldn't shake the irritable feeling she had, though. Maybe… No. She was madly in love with Korey. She could just feel it. She didn't with Spencer. Simple as that.

…

Spencer was bored. It was Friday evening and he couldn't find anything to do. He'd already read five books. He didn't feel like watching TV. Usually he hung out with Victoria on Friday, but she'd made plans with Penelope. He scrunched his lips together. Maybe he could go over to Victoria's house to visit her brothers? As eccentric as those boys were, Spencer loved them. He decided to head over there and grabbed his keys. His phone vibrated. He checked it with a frown. It was a text from Victoria.

 _I gotta tell you something._

 _Ok, what is it?_

 _It's swrious._

 _Okay…?_

 _I am the batman._

Spencer looked up from his phone and blinked. What? _Are you drunk?_

 _I drank the Mexican watrr_

 _Do you mean tequila?_

 _It's soooooooooooo yucky_

 _Don't drink it, then._

 _SPWBCRR IT BYRNSSSSZZ_

 _Are you okay?_

 _M juss dronk_

 _I know._

 _Lolz ur taaaaaaall_

 _Yeah, I am…_

 _Like ur taller than me!_

 _Victoria, do you need me to pick you up?_

 _Nooooooooo m at penelopes house_

 _Okay. Are you sure you're okay?_

 _Whays the function of a rubber duck?_

 _What?_

 _Read the message Reid. Lolz get it. You read a lkt and your name is Reid!_

 _Okay Victoria._

 _WHERE THE FUCK IS NARBIA_

 _…_ _What?_

 _M IN A DAMN WARDROBE EHERE IS IT I CANT FIND IT MOTHERFUCKER_

 _Victoria, what are you talking about?_

 _PENELOPE SAYS I HAVE TO GO. GOTHAM NEEDA ME SPENCER_

 _Okay… Please don't do anything dangerous._

 _GOODBYE. HOW DO YOU TURN OFF THE BIG LETTERS_

 _Press the up arrow in the bottom left corner, V._

 _OK. GOODBYE SPENCER_

 _Bye, Victoria._

Spencer put away his phone, unable to contain his grin. He stepped out of his apartment, locked the door and then headed for his car in the parking lot. He slid into the driver's seat and started the familiar drive to Victoria's. The first time he'd driven to Victoria's house had seemed long and tiring. But now, he actually liked the drive.

After about half an hour, Spencer pulled up to Victoria's house. He parked in the circular driveway in front of the house instead of pulling further toward the side, where the garage was located. Spencer strode toward the door and knocked. He waited for Jason or Seth to answer, but neither boy came to the door. Spencer frowned and rang the doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened, but it wasn't Jason or Seth who answered.

A tall, muscular man with short sandy blonde hair answered the door. His eyes were crystal blue. He raised an eyebrow at the sight of Spencer. "Can I help you?" he asked. The man had deep, smooth voice. He wore jeans and a blue shirt.

"Hi, I'm, uh, looking for Jason and Seth?" Spencer said.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid." said Spencer.

The man's eyes widened a fraction. "You work with Vicky."

Spencer pursed his lips and nodded. "I do."

"I'm Korey Langston," said the man, extending a hand to Spencer. "Victoria's fiancée."

Spencer shook hands with Korey. "Nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you."

"We?" Korey asked.

"Um, my colleagues and I," said Spencer, furrowing his brow.

"Wanna come in?" Korey asked, extending the door.

"No, that's okay. I was just coming by to check on the boys." said Spencer.

"Victoria asked me to watch them while she went over to Penelope's." said Korey. His eyes narrowed. "Why would you want to check on them?"

"Oh, I… I think they're great kids." said Spencer.

"So you've met them?" said Korey, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. Spencer's brow twitched slightly. Korey wasn't threatened by Spencer at all, at least in his body language… But his questioning felt a little demanding. Spencer examined how Korey was practically blocking the entrance now. Korey didn't like Spencer's presence at all… So why was he stalling Spencer's departure?

"Yeah, I've met them," said Spencer. He knew he shouldn't mention the fact that he'd come over a few times. Well, practically every weekend.

"You must hang out with them a lot for you to want to check up on them." said Korey.

It wasn't a question. Spencer pressed his lips together. "Um… Sure. I'll, uh, see you around, Korey."

Korey moved to the porch and closed the door. Spencer took a step back. "You stay away from Victoria, all right?" Korey threatened.

Spencer pinched his brows together and his lips parted. He tilted his head back slightly. "I can't. We work together."

Korey pursed his lips. His eyes were narrowed to slits. He advanced toward Spencer, who wavered but didn't step back. Korey was taller than Spencer. "I know you're trying to fuck her. Get the hell away from her."

Spencer's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up. "Korey, I can assure you that it's not my intention to… have sex with your fiancée. Victoria's my friend. Besides, I… I have a girlfriend already." Spencer puffed out his chest at the mention of Maeve.

Korey rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't stop me, so it probably wouldn't stop you. Stay away from Victoria, or you're going to regret it."

"You can't threaten a federal agent." said Spencer, his face relaxing.

"And you can't fuck my fiancée!" snarled Korey.

"I'm not," said Spencer. "Unlike you, I wouldn't cheat on my significant other. If you harm Victoria, her brothers or myself, you will be the one regretting your actions." Spencer turned away from Korey, got into his car and left Victoria's house.

…

Victoria pulled up to her house. Her head pounded from last night's drinks. She parked in her garage and shut off her car's engine. She crawled out of the car, grabbed her bag from the backseat and entered her house through the back door. "I'm home!" she called.

"About damn time," seethed Korey.

Victoria frowned. "Something wrong?"

Korey rubbed his mouth with his hand. "You tell me," he said. He was sitting at the kitchen table, facing Victoria from the head of the table. He clasped his hands in front of him.

"Korey… I don't understand." Victoria said, dropping her bag on the floor. Thudding sounded from the stairs as Victoria's brothers burst into the room.

"V!" cried Jason, his eyes lighting up.

"Go back upstairs, Jason," Victoria ordered. Jason frowned.

"But…"

"Now," Victoria barked. Jason's shoulders slumped but he obeyed. Seth's eyes narrowed and he stared at Victoria skeptically, but he followed Seth back upstairs and out of earshot. Victoria looked at Korey. "Are you going to be an adult and tell me what the hell you're mad about, or do I have to play fucking detective to figure it out?"

Korey widened his eyes at Victoria's language, but she didn't care. She was definitely too hungover to deal with this right at the moment. "One of your colleagues came by for a visit last night," said Korey. Victoria's composure slipped into a frown. She waited for Korey to continue. "Dr. Reid wanted to check on the boys."

Victoria's scrunched face stretched into wide eyes and raised eyebrows. "I don't understand why there's a problem."

"The problem," sighed Korey, "is that he seems to know your brothers quite well."

"So?" Victoria quipped.

"So, he comes around a lot, doesn't he?" Korey snapped.

Victoria didn't want to lie. She crossed her arms. "Yes, he does."

Korey's eyes flashed. "Why?"

"He's my friend, Korey. Why can't you just trust me, babe? I love you, not him!" Victoria insisted.

"What am I supposed to think, Vicky? Another man is constantly hanging around my fiancée!" Korey yelled.

Victoria closed her eyes. "Stop calling me Vicky! I've told you that I don't like it!"

"Really? You're gonna get onto me about your nickname right now?" Korey sneered.

Victoria opened her eyes, which burned. "Korey, Spencer is my friend, okay? That's it. He and I coincide the most at work, that's all. Would you be angry if it were Penelope? No. Emily? No. Dave? Probably not. Korey, I am marrying you! I love you! Spencer is just my friend. He's hung around the boys some, yes. The fact that he came to see them not me should be an indicator, Korey! If he and I were really cheating, he would've snuck over to Penelope's! Instead he came here."

Korey's lips were pressed together in a tight line. "He's acting like he's their father or something."

"No he's not," Victoria hissed. "He just cares for them."

"He shouldn't be the one hanging out with them. It should be me!" shouted Korey.

"You never do, though!" Victoria cried.

"Those boys never shut the fuck up about Spencer the whole night!" Korey raged, his face reddening.

"Because Spencer actually cares for them! You have never once showed an interest in my brothers! Spencer has! My brothers need a male role model and Spencer is the only one who fucking stepped up to do it!" Victoria shouted.

Korey slammed his hand down on the table. Victoria flinched. "Damn it, Victoria!" Korey bellowed. He pointed a finger at her. "Stay the hell away from Spencer Reid. I better not hear about the two of you hanging out again."

Victoria's eyes welled with tears. She opened her mouth to agree. No. That's not how this was going to work. "You can't take my friends away from me, Korey. You can't control everything I do. I don't lose my shit over you hanging out with Monica! The two of you go out a lot and I never say a fucking word about it. I don't control who you spend your time with, so you can't do that to me. Spencer is my friend. You're just going to have to trust me. Do you really think I'd leave you for Spencer? You just need to accept that Spencer and I are friends. In fact, I'm asking him to be my maid of honor!"

Korey worked his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "Fine." He got up, grabbed his keys and headed past Victoria for the back door. He paused at the door. "If I ever hear about the two of you hanging out here past midnight, I'm gonna fuck his world up." Korey walked out the door and slammed it so hard a picture fell off the wall. Victoria winced. Tears splashed down her cheeks. She sniffed, wiped away her tears and picked up the shattered picture frame. She set it down on the counter and headed upstairs to hang out with her brothers. And then she got a text from Hotch.

…

Spencer looked up as Victoria took her place at her desk across from him. He smiled at her, but Victoria ignored him. Spencer frowned. Was she mad at him? Victoria began working on paperwork, the corners of her mouth drooping toward the floor. She scribbled away, using more force than was necessary.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's up princess?" said Morgan, grinning at Victoria.

"Nothing." Victoria muttered. She got up and headed to the rec room. Spencer exchanged a glance with Morgan, whose eyes were wide. Spencer twisted his lips to one side and furrowed his brow. He got up and followed Victoria into the rec room. She was making herself some green tea.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked.

Victoria scowled at him. "I'm fine. Jeez, why is everyone asking me?"

"It was just Morgan and me," said Spencer. "And you kind of look like you want to punch someone."

"Maybe I do," snapped Victoria.

Spencer raised his eyebrows and inhaled. "Okay, who?"

"You," Victoria barked.

Spencer stared at her. "Me?"

"Yeah," Victoria hissed. She mixed honey into her tea furiously. She looked up at Spencer with harsh eyes. "What the hell are you doing, showing up at my house to visit my brothers for no damn reason?"

Spencer's mouth fell open. "I… I didn't know I wasn't allowed to."

"Well, you're not. So don't do it again." Victoria seethed. She stormed out of the room, leaving Spencer to stare at the spot she'd been standing seconds before. He blinked and then left the room.

"Conference room, now." Hotch called. Spencer entered the round table room. He took his usual seat. Victoria sat next to Emily, which shifted everyone around. Spencer glanced at Morgan, who was giving Spencer a silent question with his eyes. "There's a robbery happening currently, shots have been fired and there are hostages. I'll explain when we get there. You all need your vests." Hotch explained.

Victoria widened her eyes. She was licensed to carry a gun and wear the vest, but there was never a need to because she hardly ever went out into the field. Spencer looked at her, trying gauge a response from her. She ignored him. Spencer frowned and pursed his lips. He was a bit hurt that Victoria was so angry with him. He'd gone to check on her brothers. What was so wrong with that? Perhaps he had misjudged the depth of their friendship…?

When Spencer arrived on the scene, Victoria kept as far away from him as possible. Hotch instructed JJ, Prentiss and Spencer to return to the bullpen to geographically and historically profile the unsubs, the Queen, King and Jack robbers. Spencer left the scene with one last glance at Victoria, whose eyes stared straight ahead. But Spencer knew that Victoria had noticed him looking at her. With a pang in his chest, he headed off to work.

…

Victoria sat next to Garcia inside the tech trailer. Strauss entered the trailer. "The director wants me to supervise." Strauss said. She zeroed in on Victoria. "Agent Parker, you don't need to be here."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "I want to be here. I want to help."

Strauss sighed. "All right. Fine."

Victoria wasn't sure how she could help. She wasn't a profiler or anything. She just wanted to be with her team. If she could somehow help them solve the case by being their cheerleader, so be it. Victoria watched the security camera footage from within the bank.

"Sir, I got the King and Jack's names. They're Chris and Oliver Stratton… They were petty criminals and worked their way up to bank robbing… But they weren't very good at it and were arrested but were released after less than two years in prison." said Garcia.

"So the female unsub shaped them up to be skilled bank robbers? Why?" Victoria said, frowning.

"Why didn't police connect the Strattons to the Face Cards?" demanded Strauss.

"Probably because the Face Cards are good at what they do and the Stratton brothers weren't." said Victoria.

"And the Face Cards targeted different places than the Stratton brothers." said Garcia.

"Look at this," Victoria said, pointing. Strauss frowned.

"Is she putting on lipstick?" Strauss hissed.

The female unsub, staring directly at the camera, slid pink lipstick over her thin lips with glittering eyes. "She's a cocky one." Victoria commented.

Strauss stepped out momentarily for the hostage negotiations. Victoria sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. Strauss returned. "They're sending in a medic to save Oliver and the hostage."

"If they can," Victoria muttered. She watched the footage intently. She covered her mouth with her hands when she realized Oliver Stratton was dead. "This isn't good." Victoria whispered. The medic reached into his bag and drew a gun. Chris Stratton was faster. He shot the medic between the eyes. Victoria jumped and looked away, trembling. She had never witnessed murder before… Even if it was on screen… The hostage and now the medic…

"Oh no," whispered Garcia.

"What?" Victoria asked.

"Someone's trying to hack me… Two different parties it looks like… Someone from the media and someone unknown…" Garcia typed frantically on her laptop. "That should stall them."

"Go tell Hotch." Victoria ordered.

Garcia hurried off. Victoria looked at Strauss, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. "How are you holding up?" Strauss asked.

"I'm okay," Victoria huffed. "Let's just catch these guys."

Garcia hurried into the trailer. "Hotch wants us out of here to discuss something secretly… Except for Strauss, of course."

Victoria dipped her head and stepped out of the trailer. She and Garcia stood behind it, out of the way of the bank. "Do you think we'll catch these guys?"

"Of course we will," said Garcia. "Our team is the best. You know that."

"Have you ever been in the field like this before?" Victoria breathed. She was still trembling.

"Not like this, no. But I've seen some stuff… Oh God, you haven't yet, have you?" Garcia gasped.

Victoria offered Garcia a weak smile. "I'm okay," Victoria muttered. "Just… coping."

Garcia wrapped her arms around Victoria. "If you need to talk, you know where I am. But not now. We have lots of work to do because we have the Face Cards to catch!"

Victoria smiled. They reentered the tech trailer. Victoria looked to Strauss. "What's going on?"

"Detective LaMontagne is going in." Strauss replied.

Victoria widened her eyes. "Is JJ okay?"

"No." said Strauss. She gestured to the security footage. Victoria looked at it. Garcia sniffled, tears running down her cheeks in steady streams. Victoria placed a hand on Garcia's shoulder and watched JJ's boyfriend enter the bank. He appeared to be talking, but there was no sound on the footage. Chris Stratton raised his gun and shot Will twice. Then the security footage went black.

JJ, Morgan, Hotch, Prentiss and Rossi entered the trailer. Victoria peered at JJ, who had tears in her eyes. "Did you see where he was shot? Is he alive or dead?" JJ croaked.

"I-I don't know." Penelope whimpered.

"He was wearing a vest. He might be alive, Jayge." Victoria murmured.

"Might be," snorted JJ. "We need to go in."

"It's too risky. We don't have eyes in there anymore." said Morgan.

"Aaron." JJ muttered, meeting Hotch's gaze.

"Let's go in." Aaron said. He, JJ, Morgan and Prentiss left the trailer.

"It benefits them to keep Will alive." said Victoria. "Right?"

"I think so." said Strauss. She rubbed her face with her hands.

The phone rang. Garcia answered it. "Reid," she said. "We need your help. I'm putting you on speaker."

"How's JJ?" Reid's voice sounded over the speaker phone.

"It's bad, Reid." said Garcia.

"I should be there, we've learned everything we can here." said Spencer.

"No!" Victoria snapped.

Victoria pressed her lips together as her face reddened when Strauss and Garcia looked at her. There was a long pause on Reid's end of the line. "Victoria's right, Reid. You can help more by helping me. There's a lot to go over and your brain works faster than mine." said Garcia.

Victoria blew out a long breath between her lips. "Seeing what's going on outside doesn't help with what's going on inside…" said Spencer. "Kevin, can you possibly pull up surveillance feeds prior to Will being shot?"

"Sure, what're we looking for?" said Kevin.

"The female unsub disappeared once before. If she wasn't looking for an escape, what was she doing?" said Spencer.

There was a much longer silence. "That hacker from earlier came from inside the bank?" Strauss questioned.

"Yeah, they must have someone on the outside helping them. We've profiled that they planned everything out. They have someone watching." said Rossi.

"Garcia, get them out of there!" yelled Spencer suddenly.

"Abort, abort!" yelled Rossi, charging out of the trailer. Strauss, Victoria and Garcia followed. With a deafening boom, the bank exploded. The force sent Victoria sprawling onto the ground, Garcia, Rossi and Strauss with her.

….

Spencer widened his eyes at the newsfeed. The bank had exploded… Was his team all right?

"What do we do?" Kevin said frantically.

"We gotta get over there." said Spencer. He and Kevin drove to the bank. Spencer tried not to worry too much about Victoria. Despite her coldness to him that day, she was his best friend. As soon as Spencer got to the scene, he jumped out of the car, looking for his teammates. He noticed Morgan and JJ hurrying into the blackened bank but he didn't see Emily. Hotch and Rossi were talking to each other, Strauss standing nearby. Garcia rushed toward Kevin. Spencer's eyes finally found Victoria. He jogged over to her, his face exploding with relief. He grabbed Victoria and pulled her into a tight embrace. To his surprise, Victoria hugged him back.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for fighting." Victoria sobbed.

Spencer buried his face in Victoria's shoulder. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay." he murmured. They pulled apart. Spencer squeezed Victoria's shoulder and hurried off to help Hotch.

…

Victoria returned to the trailer with Garcia. JJ's eyes were red and puffy. "If you didn't find Will, that must mean he's with them." said Victoria.

"How can you be sure?" JJ sniffled.

Victoria narrowed her eyes at the picture of the female unsub and Chris Stratton in their getaway vehicle. "Look at how she's sitting. She's talking to someone in the backseat."

"That could be the fourth unsub." said JJ.

"She's got her gun trained on him." said Victoria.

"It benefits them to keep Will alive." said Rossi.

"Do you really think it could be him?" JJ asked.

Emily returned from her phone call with Interpol. "In other robbery cases with bombings, the detonator was a phone that was ten years old." she stated.

"That's specific…" Victoria muttered.

"And rare." said Emily.

The team dispersed to examine the remains of the bank. Victoria stayed behind with Kevin and Penelope. They reviewed old surveillance footage. "Parker, go get the team." said Kevin.

Victoria nodded and stepped out of the trailer. She found the different team members and led them back to the trailer. "So we found out that the explosion was a distraction for escape. But look at this." said Garcia. She pointed out Matthew Downs.

"He doesn't even flinch at gunfire." said Victoria.

"Yeah. I mean, I know he's ex-military but…" said Kevin, shaking his head.

"Do you think he could be the fourth unsub?" Victoria reasoned.

"Look at how they look at each other!" said Emily, pointing to the female unsub and Matthew.

"They're a couple." Victoria realized, widening her eyes.

"They've created impossible situations to get out of and when they do, it's the ultimate high." said Spencer.

"Like an adrenaline junkie." said Kevin.

Victoria stepped out to answer a call from Jason. "V, is everything okay? I thought you don't work today." said Jason.

"I usually don't. I'm sorry, bro. I'll see you later, okay? I love you." Victoria said.

"I love you too…?" said Jason. Victoria hung up and rejoined the group, only to find that everyone except Garcia, Kevin and Reid had left.

"They're targeting the train station." said Spencer.

Victoria nodded briskly. "Good, we know where they're going."

…

Spencer looked around as Garcia entered the bullpen. "Hey, the convention is still in town if you wanna go tomorrow." he said.

"Sorry, honey, but the whole mess of destruction today kind of put me out of the mood." said Garcia.

"It will every time." said Prentiss.

"Our unsub is Izzy Rogers. She is being judged for counts of murder and robbery. She will never see the light of day. I thought you would all want to know," announced Strauss. Spencer nodded. Good. "Agent Morgan." Strauss waved Morgan over to her. Spencer watched him for a second before looking at Garcia and Prentiss. He looked up when Victoria entered the bullpen. She appeared a bit shaken as she sank into her seat.

"You okay?" Spencer asked.

Victoria looked at him, her eyes wide. "Yeah." she breathed.

Spencer frowned. Victoria definitely did not sound okay. He exchanged a glance with Prentiss, but she looked just as clueless as Spencer felt. "Hey, Dave wants to know if everyone is free tomorrow night." said Hotch.

"I am if he's buyin'," said Morgan.

Spencer gave a thumbs up. Spencer packed his things up to leave. He and the rest of the team dispersed in the parking lot. Spencer looked over at Victoria, who was unlocking her car door. He strode over to her. "Hey." he said.

Victoria looked at him. "Hey," she said. She sounded guilty.

"Are you going to tell me why you were so upset this morning? I'm sorry if I'm intruding too much. I'll back off if you want." Spencer said.

Victoria scowled. "Spence, that's not it at all," she said. She sighed. "Korey got onto me for you coming over."

Spencer widened his eyes. "Oh," he said. "What did he say?"

Victoria cringed. "Er, apparently the boys talk about you a lot to him. He feels that you're trying to be their father or something. And he thinks that we're… a thing, I guess. He told me not to hang out with you anymore."

Spencer looked at his shoes and scrunched his lips to one side. His brow furrowed. "Oh."

"I told him he can't control who I hang out with." said Victoria.

Spencer met her gaze. "Is it wise to defy your fiancée?"

Victoria frowned. "It's unwise of him to try and control me."

Spencer bit his lip. "Victoria, if he's trying to control you… That's a sign of abuse."

Victoria looked at him sharply. "It was my fault. I should've been honest with him about our friendship before. If I had been, he wouldn't have been so angry. I was the one being shady, Spence. I'm sorry I got you involved."

Spencer chewed on his inner cheek. He wanted to say more. The fact that Victoria had hidden her friendship with Spencer from Korey was a telltale sign, too. And Victoria was blaming herself? Another sign… But Spencer knew he needed to tread carefully. He had just mended his friendship with Victoria. He didn't want to mess it up again. "I'm so sorry he got mad at you over me. I didn't know he'd do that." Spencer said.

Victoria shrugged. "Like I said, it was more of my fault. I'm sorry I took it out on you. You didn't deserve that." She wrapped her arms around Spencer. He hugged her back with narrowed eyes. If Victoria was being abused… He squeezed her tighter. He didn't want to see her hurt.

"I'll see you tomorrow at Rossi's?" Spencer said.

"Definitely." said Victoria with a grin. She climbed into her car. Spencer trekked back to his car, working his jaw, deep in thought.

…

Victoria examined herself in the mirror. Rossi's cocktail party was in an hour. Victoria knew it was supposed to be JJ's wedding, but everyone was keeping it a secret from JJ. Victoria looked at her periwinkle dress. It was sleeveless with a V-neck. The material was thick. She paired it with nude heels. She felt classy and elegant in the dress. She clacked out of her room, said goodbye to her brothers and headed to her car. She revved the engine and began the long drive to Rossi's.

When she arrived, she realized the team, save JJ, were already there. She hurried into the house. "Ciao, bella!" greeted Rossi, grinning as he looked at Victoria.

She smiled. "Hi, Rossi."

Rossi kissed her cheek. "Can I get you anything to drink? Wine, mojito…?"

"I'll just have a glass of wine, thank you." said Victoria. Rossi poured Victoria a glass of pinot grigio. She thanked him and took a sip.

"Oh my gosh, you look so pretty!" cried Garcia.

Victoria turned around. Penelope threw her arms around Victoria. "Thank you," Victoria laughed. "You look lovely as well."

"Why thank you my love." said Garcia.

"Damn Parker, you clean up nicely." said Morgan.

Victoria looked to see Emily, Derek and Spencer joining them. "Yeah, you look great." said Emily.

Victoria smirked. "You guys act like I show up to work like a hobo every day or something." she teased.

Morgan rolled his eyes. "Just say thank you and move on." he said, putting an arm over Victoria's shoulders.

"Thank you," said Victoria. "You guys don't look too shabby either."

Morgan chuckled. Victoria met Spencer's gaze. He offered her a small smile. Victoria turned toward the sound of the front door opening. JJ, Will and Henry entered the house. "Spencer!" cried Henry, running toward the young genius.

"Henry!" cried Spencer, a grin plaster on his face. He crouched down and spread his arms. Henry jumped into his godfather's arms. Spencer hoisted Henry up, looking pleased.

"Hey," said JJ. "You guys look nice."

"So do you," Victoria returned, hugging JJ.

Henry reached for his mother. She took him and headed over to Rossi to greet the enthusiastic host. Victoria pursed her lips and met Spencer's gaze. He gazed at her. He cleared his throat. "Um, you, uh, you look beautiful." he said.

Victoria smiled. She curtseyed. "You look handsome, kind sir."

Spencer grinned. Rossi waved them over. Victoria and Spencer trekked outside, where they stood and waited for JJ to walk down the aisle. Victoria couldn't stop smiling as she watched JJ and Will exchange their vows.

"They say good things happen to good people. Today is one of those things, and these are two of those people. We love you." Rossi toasted.

Victoria clinked her glass against Spencer's. "Come dance with me!" Garcia sang. She grabbed Victoria's hand. Victoria laughed and got up to dance with Garcia. Prentiss joined in. They held hands and spun in circles, giggling. JJ scurried over. Victoria and Prentiss let go of each other to welcome JJ into the circle. Eventually Morgan swept Garcia away. Rossi took Prentiss, JJ was captured by her husband. Spencer approached Victoria. She beamed at him. He grabbed her hand and put his other one on her waist. They swayed to the beat for a few moments before Morgan cut in.

"How are you holding up, princess?" Morgan asked.

"I'm all right," said Victoria. "Yesterday was… intense."

"You could say that again," said Morgan. "When are we going to be attending your wedding?"

Victoria sighed. "I don't know," she replied. "Korey and I have some things to sort out."

"Like what?" Morgan asked with a frown.

"He doesn't like that I hang out with Spence so much." Victoria admitted.

"Ah," said Morgan. "You sure you and pretty boy don't have a thing going on?"

"Last time I checked," Victoria laughed.

"I don't wanna pressure you, but I think you and Reid would work. It seems like Korey is a bit much." said Morgan seriously.

Victoria frowned. "Trust me, there's nothing romantic between Spence and me."

"All right," said Morgan. "You know you can come to me for anything, right? Don't exclude yourself from the team. You are one of us."

"Spence told you?" Victoria said.

"I may have overheard," said Morgan. "I love you, princess. You know that, right? We all love you."

Victoria smiled. "I know. I love you guys, too."

Hotch cut in. Victoria curtseyed to Morgan, who chuckled and swept Prentiss away. "I haven't gotten a chance to thank you." Hotch said.

"For what?" Victoria asked.

"Helping the team this past year. Defending us against Cramer. It's been good having you around." Hotch replied.

Victoria shrugged. "I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."

Hotch smiled in reply. Victoria was soon switched over to Rossi. "How you doing, kiddo?" Rossi asked.

"Why is everyone asking me that?" Victoria sighed.

"We're profilers," pointed out Rossi. "We could all see you this morning."

Victoria huffed. "I'm okay. Seriously."

"I'm proud of you," said Rossi. "You held it together pretty well yesterday, with everything that happened. I know the field isn't your forte."

"Thanks," said Victoria, pressing her lips together sheepishly. "Practice makes perfect, right?"

When the song ended, Victoria stepped off to take a sip of water. Emily approached her. "Hey."

"Hey," Victoria replied. "How are you?"

Emily let out a puff of breath through her lips. "Not so good."

Victoria frowned. "What's up?"

Emily looked at her hands. "I'm leaving," she said.

Victoria's shoulders slumped. "Oh."

Emily looked up, her eyes round and shining. "It's not you guys. I love you guys. I tried what you said, putting down roots, but…"

"It didn't work," Victoria guessed. She exhaled.

"I got a job offer to run a branch at Interpol. And… I'm gonna take it." said Emily.

Victoria nodded. "I understand."

Emily pressed her lips together. "I'm really glad that you're part of the team. They're going to need you."

Victoria smiled sadly. She embraced Emily. "I'm gonna miss you, Em."

"I'm going to miss you, too." said Emily.

"Good luck. I know you'll do great at Interpol." Victoria murmured. She withdrew from her friend, her eyes prickling.

"Thank you. Take care of them, will you?" Emily requested.

Victoria nodded. They returned to the dance floor. Victoria approached Spencer. "She told you, didn't she?" Spencer guessed.

"Yeah, she did." Victoria murmured. Spencer took her hand and led her to the dance floor. He placed a respectful hand on her waist. They swayed together, Victoria's head resting on Spencer's shoulder. She kept her hand, the one being held by Spencer, close to his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the song. She recognized it. It was the acoustic version of "All This Time" by OneRepublic. It was one of her favorites. She let out a bittersweet sigh.

…

Penelope stared over at Victoria and Spencer. "Oh my gosh," she whispered. "Derek, look!"

Derek looked around. "I knew it." he muttered.

Victoria and Spencer were dancing slowly together. Both of their eyes were closed. They were too close in proximity to be "just friends." Penelope looked at Derek. "Do you think that…?" Penelope trailed off.

"I think so," said Derek, catching on. "Or at least, I think it's gonna turn into that."

"Just to be clear, we're both talking about love, right?" Penelope murmured.

Derek chuckled. "Yes baby girl. Hey, I know that look. Do not do your thing."

Penelope scowled. "But… They need a push…"

"Let them do this on their own, Penelope." said Derek.

Penelope scowled. "Fine. I hate doing nothing."

Derek kissed her cheek. "I know, baby girl."

 **…**

 **Well, we are officially done with season 7! I'm only doing Zugzwang, Magnum Opus and The Replicator for season 8… But I won't spoil it too much for you guys.**

 **Guest: Yes, Maeve will add an interesting twist to Spencer and Victoria's relationship… I hope Korey's reaction lived up to expectations! Thank you for the review!**

 **Thank you guys so much for the support. This story has gotten the most favorites and follows out of any of my stories I've posted on this site. It means so much! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, please!**

 **I always forget the disclaimer… I don't own Criminal Minds, just my OCs.**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Zugzwang_**

The past several months had been great. Victoria and Korey hadn't fought very much. Victoria hung out with Spencer on Fridays as usual, giving Korey time to hang out with his friends. The independence was good for their relationship. Victoria and Spencer spent their Fridays eating takeout, watching an episode of "The Office" and then talking. Victoria loved her talks with Spencer. The topics ranged from stupid pranks they'd done to their religious views. Victoria knew Spencer was more of scientific man, but he had admitted that he was beginning to question if there was… something.

"There's no proof that God exists." Spencer had said.

"There's no proof that he _doesn't_ exist, either. I like to think of it this way… If I believe, and I'm right, I have everything to gain and nothing to lose. If I don't believe and I'm wrong, I have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I tend to be fairly pragmatic, too. But… I don't like thinking that's there's nothing after this. What's the point of existence if there's nothing?" Victoria had countered. Spencer, for once, hadn't had an answer.

Victoria smiled as she knocked on Spencer's apartment door. He answered and grinned. "Hey," he greeted her, stepping aside so that she could enter.

"Hello," Victoria replied. She faced Spencer. "Do you mind if we go do something tonight? I'm not really feeling TV."

"Sure," said Spencer. "What do you want to do?"

Victoria scrunched her lips thoughtfully. "Let's be super nerds and go to the bookstore."

Spencer chuckled. "Okay. Let me get my coat." He left the room and returned, wearing his peacoat. He allowed Victoria to step out first. He locked his door and the two of them headed out of his apartment building. The nearest bookstore was within walking distance of Spencer's apartment. They entered the bookstore. Victoria inhaled the aroma of crisp pages and grinned.

She led the way to the romance section. She peered at the titles of the erotica books, smirking at some of the obnoxious titles. She grinned and pulled out a particularly silly one. " _Dark Desires after Dusk_ ," she read. "Alliteration, much?"

Spencer raised his eyebrows and looked at it. " _When young maiden Celeste decides to serve as the mysterious Lord Dracul's handmaiden, she discovers the wealthy man's dark secrets… And takes a bite out of the forbidden._ " Spencer grinned and set the book back on the shelf.

"Here's a good one," said Victoria. " _For the Love of a Scottish Laird_ ," she read. She giggled. "Look at his righteous mullet!"

Spencer and Victoria laughed together at the ridiculous novel titles and their cover pictures. Victoria then showed Spencer the _Harry Potter_ books. He read the backs of them while Victoria watched, her eyes bright. Spencer looked at her. "Why do you love _Harry Potter_ so much?" he wondered.

Victoria frowned. "It's pretty well written and it's got a great story."

Spencer shook his head. "You called it your childhood. Why?"

Victoria shrugged. "I read it as a kid."

Spencer stared at her, deadpan. "You can't lie to me."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Fine!" she hissed, smacking Spencer's arm. She grinned, but it faded and her eyes grew distanced as she remembered her childhood. "I read the first few books by myself. I didn't like reading as a kid. But I read those books. My family decided to read them together as a family. When… When my parents got divorced, I reread the series," Victoria murmured. She looked up at Spencer, who was watching her closely. Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "They were my therapy, I guess. With all the shit that was happening… I needed something to numb the pain, or at least make me forget. So I read _Harry Potter_ at least twenty-seven times during my parents' divorce."

"Twenty-seven times?" Spencer said.

Victoria smiled. "I don't have an eidetic memory like you!" she teased. She looked away. "You know, those books never stop being magical for me. Every time I read them."

Spencer glanced down at the first one. He stared at it for a long time before placing it back on the shelf. "Let's go get something to eat."

"Okay." Victoria agreed. She swallowed again. She hadn't talked about her parents' divorce in a long time. Not even with Korey. She was an honest person, but no one had ever asked her about her childhood. She pressed her lips together. She and Spencer walked in silence to a Chinese restaurant. They were seated almost immediately. Spencer ordered a glass of water while Victoria requested a Dr. Pepper. She looked at Spencer, who seemed to have noticed her silence.

"Sorry if it bothered you, talking about your parents' divorce." said Spencer.

Victoria made a face. "It didn't bother me," she said. "I just haven't talked about it in a long time."

"Why'd they divorce?" Spencer asked.

Victoria sighed. "My dad… My dad was sleeping with every woman from here to Brazil."

Spencer's eyebrows shot up. "Oh," he said. The waitress returned with their drinks. She left, giving Victoria and Spencer a moment to look over their menus. Victoria and Spencer were quiet until after they had ordered their meals. "My dad left my mom and me because… My mom is schizophrenic, and she wasn't taking care of herself very well." Spencer muttered. He offered Victoria a grim smile.

"I'm sorry, Spence." Victoria said.

Spencer shifted. "There was more to it than that. My mom… She witnessed a man in our neighborhood kill a pedophile… And the stress of that and her condition pushed my dad away. But he never called me. Never visited… I've seen him since joining the FBI, and he said he regretted it… But he still hasn't contacted me."

Victoria lowered her gaze from Spencer's. She could relate to that. "My dad packed up and moved to Los Angeles without telling anyone. The only reason we know he's there is because we had a private investigator following him for a while. He calls me about once a year, but… I never answer the phone."

Spencer frowned. "Why don't you answer the phone?"

Victoria met his gaze. "Because I… I don't want to talk to him."

"Oh," said Spencer. "I understand."

Victoria nodded. "Sometimes, I think about answering… But I never can bring myself to do it."

Spencer lowered his gaze to stare at the condensation dripping off his glass. "My dad Googled me. But that's it."

Victoria laughed bitterly. "It's like they think they can do this one thing to show that 'they care' and then that's it. My dad calls annually and yours Googles you. But they don't do anything else to prove that they're worthy of our forgiveness."

Spencer nodded. "I… If I'm ever a father, I… I'm not going to do that. I'm Henry's godfather and I can't imagine abandoning him."

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. I take care of my brothers. And even though I'm not always there because of work, I can't imagine abandoning them, either. I could tell them to live on campus at their school, but I don't want to. They're my boys. They make coming home more fun."

Spencer smiled. "You've done a good job, you know. Helping raise them."

Victoria shook her head. "Sometimes I doubt that. Their cursing would make a sailor uncomfortable."

Spencer chuckled. "It could be worse."

"That's true," Victoria sighed. She grinned at Spencer. The waitress brought them their food. Victoria dug into her fried rice and teriyaki chicken, drowned in soy sauce. Spencer widened his eyes at the amount of soy sauce she put on. She laughed at his face. "I'm from the Deep South, remember? Everything's salty and spicy."

Spencer laughed. "And you own a pet alligator, right?"

Victoria giggled. "Exactly," she said. She grew thoughtful. "Actually, on my grandmother's farm, there's a bayou and an alligator lives in it. We named him Charlie. And there's this ongoing joke that we feed naughty children to Charlie."

Spencer grinned and shook his head. "I imagine that does wonders disciplinary-wise."

"Well, my family is a bit… hectic. So it works on some but not most." Victoria chuckled.

"Hectic how?" Spencer wondered.

"Well, my aunt's favorite hobby is childbirth, so I've got quite a few cousins. I grew up as the oldest, so I was often the babysitter. I called her children gremlins because if you feed them they go crazy." Victoria explained.

Spencer smiled. "Isn't that with all children? Henry can be pretty wild, too."

"Imagine five younglings who should compete in gymnastics at the Olympics and who can't keep their clothes on." said Victoria.

Spencer's eyes broadened. "Oh. Wow."

"Yeah. I remember I was babysitting them one time and I turned away from the youngest child for a second and when I turned back, he was gone. I asked the oldest where he was, and she said, 'Oh, he's running down the street naked.' I look outside and sure enough, the dude's butt-ass naked running down the street. So I go out there, pick him up and carry him back home and put his clothes on. And then we all went outside to play and the little dude locked us all out, himself included. I had to go to a neighbor's to borrow a wire coat hanger to pick the lock." Victoria recounted fondly.

Spencer laughed. "How old was he?"

"Two." Victoria replied, shaking her head. Her phone beeped. She checked to see a text from Korey.

 _Where are you?_

 _I'm out with Spencer._

 _Doing what?_

 _Eating dinner. Why?_

 _Just checking in. Be home by ten._

 _Okay._

Victoria put her phone away. "Sorry about that."

"Was that Korey?" Spencer asked. Victoria nodded. "Is he okay with this?" Spencer gestured between them.

"Yeah. Well, not really, but I told him to get over it. He hangs out with this girl Monica a lot, and I never complain about it." said Victoria.

Spencer frowned. "Well… Let me know if it becomes a problem."

"Okay." Victoria said, pinching her eyebrows together. Maybe Spencer didn't want to associate with her if Korey decided he didn't want Victoria hanging out with Spencer… She didn't blame Spence, but his words still stung a little bit.

…

 _Spencer looked around, eyebrows pinched together. He was wearing a tuxedo. He looked to his left. JJ, Rossi, Morgan, Hotch, Blake and Victoria were smiling at him from white, delicate chairs. His gaze lingered on Victoria. She nodded encouragingly. Korey sat next to her, both of them wearing wedding bands. Spencer looked to see Garcia standing beside him._

 _"_ _Have you the ring?" she asked. Spencer raised his eyebrows. He felt something clenched in his hand. He pried open his fingers to see a diamond ring. He looked back at Garcia. "Put the ring on her finger." Garcia instructed._

 _"_ _On whose finger?" Spencer asked. Garcia looked at someone standing in front of Spencer. He looked to see a bride whose face was covered with a thick veil. Spencer cleared his throat and slid the ring on the bride's finger. His stomach flipping over itself and his heart pounded. But he wasn't sure if it was good anxiety or not._

 _"_ _I now pronounce you smart and smarter. Get to it, you two." said Garcia._

 _"_ _Get to what?" Spencer asked._

 _"_ _Kiss her, dummy." Garcia snapped._

 _Spencer lifted the heavy veil to uncover his bride's face. He knew it was Maeve… His eyes widened in horror when he laid eyes upon his faceless Maeve._

Spencer jerked awake and rubbed his face with his hands. Would that always be Maeve to him? A faceless bride? Or would she someday be his actual bride?

…

"I would like an omelet with all the fixings and a glass of water, please." said Korey.

"Coming right up," said the waitress. She peered at Victoria. "And you, miss?"

"I'd like a Dr. Pepper and a grilled cheese." said Victoria, handing her menu to the waitress.

"All right, I'll put that in for you guys." said the waitress. She skipped off.

"Why don't you lay off the junk?" Korey queried.

"What?" Victoria replied, frowning.

"Y'know, eat more salad, drink more water, workout some… I'd like to have a fiancée with washboard abs, you know." said Korey.

Victoria looked at the table. "Oh. Um… Okay." She didn't speak for the remainder of the meal. She gave Korey a quick kiss on the cheek before climbing into her car and heading for work. Her eyes burned with tears. Okay, so, she wasn't super toned. But did that truly matter that much? Why hadn't Korey said something before? She felt the tears escape her eyes and slip down her cheeks. "Damn it." she muttered. She stormed toward the bathroom.

"Hey, Victoria," said JJ. "There's an urgent case… Are you okay?"

Victoria sniffed. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. What's the case?"

"It's something personal," said JJ with a shrug. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?" Victoria snapped, her tone harsher than she'd intended. Victoria turned away from JJ's bewildered expression and marched into the bullpen. Victoria couldn't be around JJ's perfectly toned body right then. Hotch gathered the team around as Victoria wiped her eyes. She noticed Spencer looked distressed and her thoughts about washboard abs and Korey flew from her mind. What was wrong with him? Why did he look like someone just kicked his puppy? Worse than that. He looked as if someone had just told him his mother was dead. Victoria's heart dropped. Oh God…

"Maeve's missing." Hotch explained.

Victoria widened her eyes and looked at Spencer's dead eyes. He looked at the floor. "I know he thinks he'll get away with this and he might. I have a wealth of knowledge I should be applying to this case… Behavioral patterns of violent stalkers, recovery strategies, victim survival odds… But right now I can't focus on anything for more than four seconds at a time, which makes me the dumbest person in the room. So… Please help me. Help me find her." Spencer's voice was barely more than a whimper. Victoria softened. She wanted to help, but how could she? She wasn't a profiler…

"We don't know if we have a case. So we'll be working on personal time. Does anybody wanna leave?" Hotch said. Nobody moved. "Good. Let's get to work."

Victoria approached Spencer as the rest of the team dispersed and headed for the conference room. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked gently.

Spencer flinched away from her hand resting on his arm. "I'll be okay when we find her." He stalked toward the conference room.

Victoria's chest panged, but she followed. "Are you okay?" Garcia whispered to Victoria as she took a seat.

"I'm fine." Victoria muttered. She noticed Spencer looking at her. She looked away pointedly.

Victoria worked on watching the team's interaction, especially with Reid. Since they were working on personal time, they had more opportunity for going rogue… Victoria blinked, hard. The team wouldn't do that. She couldn't doubt them now. After Garcia found Maeve Donovan's address and workplace, Rossi and Blake left to interview coworker, JJ and Morgan went to investigate Maeve's apartment while Reid and Hotch went to interview Maeve's parents. Victoria and Garcia retreated to Garcia's lair.

"Okay, honey bun," said Garcia. "Tell me what's wrong."

Victoria stared at her. "We should be focusing on the case."

"We will, but right now, you and I are waiting. So, tell me what's wrong." said Garcia.

Victoria parted her lips to respond, but she stopped herself. "Reid needs us more right now."

"Doing what? We've done all we can for the moment. Speak to me, vanilla sugar." said Garcia.

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "K-Korey said… He said I need to s-stop eating junk and workout b-because he wants a fiancée with 'washboard abs.'" Victoria whimpered.

"He did what?" Garcia snapped.

"Please don't make me say it again." Victoria said thickly. She wiped her eyes. "Ugh, I feel so selfish that I'm upset about this right now."

"Baby V, you are beautiful. If Korey can't deal with it, then kick his sorry butt to the curb! He should know your value by now. You are priceless, vanilla sugar. You're beautiful, inside and out. Like a golden Oreo. Don't let that man tell you otherwise." said Penelope, taking Victoria's hands in hers.

Victoria offered Penelope a watery smile. "Thank you." Victoria murmured.

"But?" Penelope said, catching onto Victoria's hesitance.

"But… It's more than that," Victoria admitted. She looked away from Penelope. "When my parents got divorced, I… I was self-harming. But not with a blade. I… I was anorexic. And Korey knows that."

"Victoria, you never told me that…" Penelope whispered.

Victoria pressed her lips together. "I don't like talking about it. Because it sounds stupid."

"It's not stupid. V, I can't believe… Do not let Korey dictate what you do with your body, understand? You are gorgeous. You don't need to be a size zero to be beautiful. I mean, hello! Look at me!" said Penelope.

Victoria chuckled. "You're right," she admitted. "Thank you. I feel better."

"Good," said Penelope. She hugged Victoria tightly. "I hate it when my babies are hurting."

"Am I interrupting something?" JJ's voice called from the doorway.

"No," said Penelope. "What do you need?"

"We need to scan these." said JJ, holding out a set of pictures.

Victoria got up from her chair and approached JJ. "Hey, I'm really sorry about earlier. Korey said something rude to me and I took it out on you." Victoria apologized.

"It's okay," JJ said with a small smile. She squeezed Victoria's arm. "Tell me about it later?"

Victoria nodded. JJ and Penelope got to work, with Penelope rambling about Roseanna Arquette. "Whoa," JJ said. "Look at this."

Victoria peered at the picture, where Maeve's face was blacked out. "Is that… black eyeliner?" Victoria asked.

JJ looked up with wide eyes. "I'll go tell Spence."

…

"Think female scorned. We slept together, you broke up with me, now I'll do anything to get back at you." said Morgan.

"Reid? Could that fit Maeve? Could she have possibly been in a relationship with this woman?" Hotch asked.

"No… No." said Spencer, scowling.

"Spence… This morning you didn't even know she was engaged." Victoria pointed out.

Spencer glowered at her. "That's not the answer!" he snapped. Victoria flinched. Spencer got to his feet. "Think celebrity stalker."

"How? Maeve's not a celebrity." said Blake.

"She's the star in her field, though." Spencer argued, pacing.

"It's a stretch," said Rossi as Spencer took a seat on the opposite side of the room. "Celebrity stalkers are usually non-violent."

"You wanna tell that to John Lennon, Rossi? What was it Mark David Chapman said after he shot John Lennon? 'All of my nobodyness and all of his somebodyness collided!' Well, Maeve's somebody and this… bitch is a nobody!" Spencer yelled. He realized everyone was staring at him. "I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from. I can't be very helpful right now, I should leave." Spencer tried to storm out of the room.

"Reid! Yes you can. You have a hundred-point-five days of communication with the girl and your brain can let you recall every word verbatim." said Morgan.

"She probably revealed details about the unsub to you and neither of you even noticed." said JJ.

"There's too much of it and I can't sort through any of it with any clarity." croaked Spencer.

"Then pick one of them and they'll go through it with you." muttered Victoria, gesturing to the profilers sitting around the room. Spencer looked at her for a second before glancing at the floor.

"Blake." he muttered.

"Okay. Let's get out of here." Blake agreed. Spencer and Blake left the bullpen together, Victoria's red eyes still imprinted on Spencer's brain.

…

Victoria's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. Korey. She put her phone back into her pocket. Her phone rang two more times, both of which Victoria ignored.

"Parker?" Hotch said.

Victoria looked up. "Sir?"

"Do you need to take that?" Hotch prompted.

"It's not important." Victoria replied shortly.

"Are you sure?" Hotch asked.

"Yep." Victoria snapped. Hotch and Morgan exchanged a glance. Victoria left the conference room to see if she could somehow help Penelope with finding Bobby's new girlfriend's actual name.

Victoria scribbled down notes for her report as she listened to Penelope type furiously. Victoria wasn't sure if she liked Spencer and Maeve together or not. She wouldn't approve of Maeve until the geneticist had done more than prove her intelligence. So far, Maeve had kept a pretty big, hurtful secret from Spencer. Maeve had been engaged… And the guy was obviously still madly in love with her. Was Spencer just Maeve's "rebound?" Victoria closed her eyes. Spencer was her closest friend. She wanted to see him happy. And Victoria wouldn't approve of Maeve until she did just that. So, Victoria prayed that Maeve would be saved, for Spencer's sake. If she wasn't… Victoria bit her lip. Spencer would be devastated. And Victoria didn't know if she could help him.

"I got her! The unsub, I got her!" sang Penelope, jerking Victoria from her thoughts.

"Let's go tell the others." Victoria said. She and Penelope entered the conference room and waited for Spencer and Blake to return. Spencer took a seat while Victoria and Penelope remained standing.

"Her name is Dianne Turner. She worked as a research assistant at Mendel University while Maeve was there." said Penelope.

"Did she apply for a PhD there?" JJ asked.

"Yeah, she was one of a bunch of internal applicants that got rejected." said Penelope.

"Looks like she left not long after Maeve." said Rossi.

"Correct. She now works at a local junior college." said Penelope.

"Dave, you, Reid and JJ take the residence. Morgan and Blake take the campus." said Hotch.

"What was her doctoral thesis about?" said Spencer.

"Says here 'spontaneous cellular death in suicide patients.'" said Derek.

"There's that suicidal behavior again." sighed Blake.

"Except cells don't behave that way. Why is she so obsessed with it?" said Spencer.

"Let's go." said Hotch, gesturing to the team.

"Good luck." Victoria and Penelope chirped together.

Victoria stepped into the hall to listen to her voicemail.

"Vicky, look. I know what I said was mean. I shouldn't have said that. Vicky, I love you so much it hurts. You are so hot and sexy. Sexiest woman I know. You don't have to do a thing to be the smokin' piece of ass you are. I love you, babe. I can't wait for you to be done with this case so that I can take you out and show off to the world my sexy fiancée. Love you, bye." Korey's message ended. Victoria felt her cheeks burn. Her stomach trembled with butterflies. She entered the bullpen, barely containing her smile.

Victoria resumed typing up her report for Cramer when Spencer burst into the bullpen, demanding that Garcia find any property under Dianne's name. Spencer and Hotch argued about something for a moment. Victoria frowned and left her desk to come within earshot of the conversation.

"What're you going to do?" Hotch demanded.

"I'm going to tell her that I love her." said Spencer.

"Tell who?" Victoria demanded.

Spencer turned. "Dianne."

"He's going in." explained Garcia.

Victoria felt the color drain from her face. "No. You can't. You could get killed!"

Spencer pursed his lips. "It's already been decided." he snapped. He and Hotch stalked out.

Victoria's jaw fell open while her mind raced with a billion thoughts and scenarios of how this could go terribly wrong. She turned to Penelope. "Garcia… He… He can't…" Victoria sank into a chair beside Garcia.

Penelope hugged Victoria. "It's okay. He's Dr. Spencer Reid. He can do this. He'll save Maeve and then they'll have baby geniuses and all will be well."

Somehow, Garcia's words didn't make Victoria feel any better. She waited, clenching Garcia's hand, for news to come. At last, Garcia's phone rang. She answered with it on speaker. "Hey, what happened?" Garcia asked.

"Is Spencer okay?" Victoria demanded.

"No," said Morgan. Garcia and Victoria looked at each other, horrified. "Maeve, Bobby and Dianne are dead. Reid… Reid watched."

Victoria drew away from the phone. Garcia and Morgan continued to talk about what happened. Garcia needed details. Victoria didn't. She tuned them out. Maeve was dead. Spencer watched. Oh God… Victoria bit her lip. Her eyes burned with tears.

She looked up sharply when the team arrived at the bullpen to gather their belongings. All of them wore equal expressions of shock. Except for Spencer. He just looked… dead. Victoria rose from her seat and crossed over to him. She wrapped her arms around him.

"Spencer, I am so sorry… If you need me, you know I'm here for you." Victoria murmured, tears leaking from her eyes. She drew away from Spencer and looked up at him.

"I-I don't need you." Spencer croaked.

Victoria's heart twanged. "Okay." she choked.

Spencer glared at her. "Stop trying to counsel me. I don't need you, all right?" he yelled.

Victoria dipped her head and pursed her lips. "Okay." she breathed. She pushed past Spencer and headed for the stairs. She wasn't about to get into an elevator with the team. She heard Penelope call her name, but she didn't stop. Once outside, she dialed Korey's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Hey." he greeted her.

"Hey," Victoria choked.

"Babe, what's wrong?" said Korey.

"Tough case. Wanna get dinner?" Victoria said, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, dinner sounds great." said Korey.

"Maybe I'll even order a salad for you." Victoria said, smiling. Korey laughed.

"As long as we can waste it with dessert afterward." he said.

Victoria slid into her car. "Of course. I love you."

"I love you, too." Korey replied.

"Race you to Olive Garden." Victoria said.

Korey chuckled. "You're on, babe." He hung up. Victoria smiled weakly. She noticed someone standing outside and looked at the person. It was Spencer, watching her. His eyes glittered with angry tears. Victoria looked away, her own eyes burning. She put on her seatbelt and pulled out of the parking lot without a second glance at Spencer.

 **…**

 **Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter, please! Thank you!**

 **Guest: I try to update quickly because I know how it feels to wait for MONTHS for someone to update… And I love writing this story. I'm glad you love it! Thank you for the review.** ****


	10. Chapter 10

**_Magnum Opus_**

"I just don't get why you're doing this. You know you're not going to get the lead role. So why try out for the play?" Korey sighed.

"Because I enjoy doing it." said Victoria.

"But it just wastes time and energy… Things you could be spending on me." said Korey, wiggling his eyebrows.

Victoria shrugged. "I don't think its wasting time or energy. I enjoy it."

Korey's lips straightened into a thin line. "C'mon, Vicky… You can carry a tune, sure. But you're not super talented. So why do the show? Why do you enjoy it so much?"

Victoria shook off the sting of Korey's words. "I have friends there." Truthfully, Victoria needed more friends. She and Spencer hadn't spoken in two weeks. Victoria knew she was being childish. Selfish, even. But Spencer's words had cut her. She and Spencer hadn't spoken in two weeks. She wanted to talk to him. But he had made it clear that he didn't want her anywhere near him. So she was respecting his wishes.

"I'm your friend," said Korey. "C'mon, babe. Don't audition for the show."

"Too late. I already told Mrs. Whitney that I would audition." said Victoria.

Korey sighed. "This is the last show, understand? If you're going to be my wife, then you need to learn to obey your husband and manage your time more wisely."

Victoria pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay." Her phone beeped. "I gotta go. There's a case." She grabbed her go bag and left her house.

…

"V, have you talked to Reid?" said Penelope.

"No," Victoria replied into her phone. "You heard him. He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Parker, you can't push him away. Not right now." said Morgan.

"Yeah," said Penelope's voice. "You guys are extremely close."

"Reid puts up walls when he's upset. He pushes away the people closest to him." said Morgan.

"I've tried him several times, but he's not answering. JJ and I went over to his place… He didn't let us in, but he let us know he's alive." said Penelope.

"Lemme see if I can try something," said Morgan. "Thanks baby girl." He hung up and glanced at Victoria. "Parker, you should talk to him, too."

Victoria pursed her lips. "I'll try."

…...

"Reid, we have a question for the case. Call me when you get this message." said Morgan's voicemail.

Spencer frowned. He had one more message. He decided to listen to it. "Hey," said Victoria's voice. Spencer's eyes filled with tears. "I-I know you probably won't even listen to this message… But… We love you. All of us. I know you're hurting. But don't push us away. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to return my call… But let us know that you're okay. Please? We… I just need to know that you're okay. Bye, Spencer."

Spencer's tears cascaded down his cheeks. His throat swelled until it felt as if he had a thorn lodged in it. He hugged a pillow close to his chest and stifled a sob. He regretted his words to Victoria. He could tell that he'd really hurt her. He'd seen it in her eyes the night Maeve died. He could hear it in her voice in her message. He could tell by the way she'd been the only one out of the team to not contact him. Maybe she was right. Maybe he didn't have to be alone. He reached for his phone.

…

"Parker," said Morgan. Victoria looked up. "I got ahold of Reid."

"Oh," Victoria said, her chest panging. "H-how is he?"

"Not ready to talk about what happened. But he's better." said Morgan.

Victoria pressed her lips together and nodded. "Good."

"Hey," said Morgan. "He didn't mean what he said to you that night."

"I gotta go." said Victoria. She stalked away, blinking back tears. She didn't want to feel jealous. She didn't want to feel hurt that Morgan go through to Reid while she couldn't. How childish and selfish was that? Her best friend was in pain, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her best friend wanted nothing to do with her. Victoria hurried to the bathroom, feeling sick. Heat prickled her spine and spread over her shoulder blades. She leaned over the sink, breathing deeply. She knew the real reason why she was jealous. The real reason she was hurt. She wasn't a hundred percent sure, but…

Her phone began to ring. Victoria jumped and fumbled to answer it. "H-hello?"

"V? Are you okay?" said Penelope.

Victoria looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't look okay. Her hair, which she usually styled, hung her around her face in its natural wavy state. It didn't look bad, but it was unprofessional. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. Dark circles curtained her eyes. Her skin was pale and clammy. Her lips were chapped. And she felt sick and short of breath. "No." she managed.

"What's wrong?" Penelope demanded. "Are you just worried for Reid? Because Morgan and I talked to him an hour ago. He's helping with the case some. I can tell he doesn't want to talk about Maeve and all, and that's totally understandable, but you know he's not shutting himself up in his room or anything, so I'll take it."

"My life's a mess, Penelope." Victoria whispered.

"What?" Penelope replied. "What do you mean?"

Victoria leaned against the wall. "I… I'm… I don't know… My life is just fucked." Victoria whimpered. She shook with a sob. "I'm not okay, Penelope."

"Oh God," said Penelope. "Don't cry. Why are you crying? Talk to me, V."

Victoria drew a shuddering, deep breath. "H-how do you k-know when you're in love?"

"Oh," said Penelope. She sounded taken aback. "I don't know, honey. I think it's different for each person. Maybe it's when you have respect and commitment and… I guess friendship… With some romance sprinkled in, I guess? When you want to spend forever with a person? Honey, why are you asking me this?"

"I think I love him," Victoria sobbed.

"Well, you're engaged to him, so I should hope so." said Penelope.

"Not Korey," Victoria wailed. "Spencer."

"Oh," Penelope murmured. " _Oh_."

Victoria slid onto the floor, shuddering with sobs. Penelope didn't say anything. Victoria wept into her hands, her knees pulled up to her chest. "I gotta go, Garcia." Victoria muttered.

"V…" Penelope protested. Victoria hung up and dissolved into another bout of tears.

The bathroom door opened. "Parker?" said JJ, sounding surprised. She stepped toward Victoria cautiously and crouched before her. "What's wrong?"

Victoria looked up. "I… I don't want to talk about it right now, okay?"

JJ nodded. She pressed her lips together and her eyes were rounded. "Spence is here."

Victoria froze. "H-here?"

"He's helping with the case." said JJ.

Victoria stifled a groan. She got up and rinsed her face off. She grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up the mascara that had run and gathered beneath her eyes. She blew her nose and turned to JJ. "Thanks for letting me know, Jayge."

Victoria left the bathroom and headed to the room where the team was discussing the unsub. She sank into a chair, not even glancing at Spencer. She acted as if she were working, but she could feel the team's eyes on her. She ignored them.

"Morgan, JJ and I will take the residence. Dave and Blake go to the art studio," said Hotch.

"I'm okay." Reid said.

"I know. But it's still good to see you." said Blake. The team scattered.

"You don't need to be here if you're not ready. These things take time." said Hotch.

"How much time?" said Reid.

"It's hard to say." said Hotch. He left, leaving Victoria alone with Reid. He sank into the chair across from her.

"Victoria," he croaked. Victoria looked up from her laptop, but she didn't say anything. Spencer pressed his lips together. "I…" His phone rang. He got up to answer it. He talked to the team for a bit on the phone about Bryan Hughes. Victoria resumed her staring at the screen. Spencer hung up and returned to his chair. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for snapping at you." he muttered.

Victoria looked up at him. "I'm not mad at you."

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have said those things." said Spencer.

Victoria dipped her head. "It's okay," she murmured. "I get yelled at a lot in my line of work."

Spencer pinched his brows together and looked at the table. "It wasn't because of your work, Victoria. I shouldn't have yelled at my best friend."

Victoria shrugged. "It's fine. I know you're hurting. I know you didn't mean it."

Spencer nodded. "Thank you. For understanding."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Don't mention it."

…

"I don't know, I counted five baskets." said JJ, laughing.

"Seven, actually. But I think Ms. Cavanaugh next door took a couple." said Spencer, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly.

Morgan chuckled. "Kid, I didn't mean for you to come all the way out here."

"I know," said Spencer. He glanced over at Victoria, who was sitting on the other side of the jet. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her eyes stared out the window. Spencer looked at Morgan and JJ.

"If you need anything, all you have to do is ask." said Morgan.

"Actually, there is something if you guys don't mind," said Spencer. JJ and Morgan looked at him expectantly. Spencer cleared his throat. "My… I've, uh, let my apartment get a little messy. I could use some help… Cleaning it."

"Sure thing." said Morgan. He squeezed Spencer's shoulder before moving to take a seat across from Victoria.

JJ looked at Spencer, her eyebrows furrowed. "You okay?" Spencer asked.

JJ glanced at him. "Do you know what's wrong with Victoria?"

Spencer's chest ached. "I didn't know anything was wrong."

JJ shrugged. "She's just… She's acting strange."

"Is it because of what I said?" Spencer asked.

"I don't think so," said JJ. She leaned forward. "I found her crying in the bathroom today. And now she's over there, not talking or reading or listening to music… She's just staring…"

"I apologized to her today," said Spencer. "She said she understood."

"I don't think it's about what you said." said JJ. "I'm just worried about her."

"Do you think she'd help clean my apartment?" Spencer asked.

"Ask her." said JJ with a small smile.

One corner of Spencer's mouth stretched into a slight, awkward smile. He stood and crossed over to Victoria. "Hey," he muttered. Morgan got up and went over to JJ. Spencer sank into Morgan's empty seat.

Victoria tore her gaze away from the window. "Hey." She sounded exhausted.

Spencer looked at her hands. Her fingernails were bitten down to the nubs. He frowned. He'd never seen Victoria bite her fingernails before. Maybe it was a habit when she was upset? He looked up at her face. "I need help cleaning my apartment… And I could use your help. Would you… Would you like to… Help?" Spencer asked. He felt silly for asking his friends to clean his apartment.

Victoria cracked a tiny smile. "Okay. I'll be there." She looked back out the window. Spencer pursed his lips into a gawky smile and leaned back and closed his eyes.

…

Victoria handed a stack of books to Garcia. She wiped down the surfaces of Spencer's kitchen and furniture. She folded the blankets that were out and rearranged the pillows. She stacked some more books onto shelves. Morgan and JJ helped with the book stacking. Garcia took down the crime scene photos from the last case. Spencer organized his books and put away his chess set. Morgan hugged Spencer before leaving. Garcia opened the curtains and then pulled Spencer into a tight hug. She then hugged Victoria.

"Come over and we'll talk." Garcia whispered.

Victoria nodded, tears stinging her eyes. JJ released Spencer from her embrace and then left. Victoria turned to Spencer. She wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist gingerly. Spencer, to her surprise, enfolded her in his arms with vehemence. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. She tightened her hold on him, fighting the tears burning her eyes. She was the first to let go. She pulled back and sniffled slightly. She hid her face from Spencer.

His eyes were round with sorrow and guilt. "I-I'm ready." he muttered.

Victoria frowned. "For what?" she croaked.

"Counseling." said Spencer.

Victoria dipped her head. "Okay. I'll see you as soon as possible. Goodbye, Spence." She turned and left Spencer's apartment before the tears could spill over.

She drove to Garcia's apartment. She climbed the stairs and knocked on Penelope's door. It swung open. Penelope widened her eyes. "Hey," she greeted. "Come in."

Victoria entered the apartment and sat on the couch. "Thank you."

"Of course," said Penelope. "I know it's only afternoon, but… You look like you need a glass of wine."

Victoria chuckled. "Sure."

Penelope scurried to her kitchen and poured two glasses of Biscotti. She returned with the sweet wine and handed a glass to Victoria. "So," said Penelope. "Tell me what's going on."

Victoria sighed. "I… I'm not sure if I love him or not. It's weird. Because he's my best friend, you know? And I thought being in love was supposed to be… I don't know. Butterflies in the stomach, sparks, fireworks… But I don't have that with Spence. I have it with Korey."

"So why do you think you love Reid?" said Penelope, sipping her wine.

Victoria blew out a breath. "Because it's _real_."

Penelope smiled. "So ditch Korey and go after Reid!"

Victoria shook her head. "Spencer obviously doesn't feel the same way."

"He could," pointed out Penelope. "Give him time. The two of you have grown together. We've all watched you guys grow closer and closer. You're best friends, so why not?"

"But… I'm… I'm not _her_ ," Victoria said thickly. Her eyes filled with tears. She took a large swig of wine. "I'm not smart enough to be with Spencer. She truly understood him, you know?"

Penelope tilted her head. "Maybe," she allowed. "She understood what it's like to be the smartest person in the room. And we don't know everything they talked about. But I think you understand him, too. Victoria, I don't think you realize how much the two of you smile when you're together. Anyone watching can see that the two of you don't have to be the same. You're… You're different, yes. But I think that those differences balance you guys out. You have enough similarities to not be enemies, but the two of you really complement each other. And don't say that you're not enough, missy. We talked about that. You think Reid cares about your IQ? He's not an asshole like some guys."

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "He's not," she said, smiling. Her smile faded. "But he still loves Maeve. I can't offer him what she gave him."

Penelope frowned. "Maybe what Maeve had for him isn't what he needs. I don't think you realize how important you are to him."

Victoria shook her head, the tears threatening to spill over again. "I'm… I'm not. This is my last year with you guys. I'm expendable to the team. You guys don't need me and you never have."

"Victoria Parker, you stop talking like that right now. You are not useless. You are not nothing to us. You are part of our family! You keep us together. You're the wise caretaker we go to when we need help!" said Penelope, her cheeks flaming.

"What happens when the caretaker can no longer care for herself?" Victoria murmured.

"Then we will help you, just like you have helped us. Listen to me, Victoria. You'll be okay. We're your family. You're our family. And I will take care of my babies. And you are one my babies, Victoria. You're not broken and you never will be, if I can help it." said Penelope.

Victoria managed to smile. "Thank you, Penelope." _But you're too late._

…

Spencer looked over at Victoria. Her head was resting on her hand as she stared at her laptop screen. Her hair fell around her tired face in waves. Dark circles were covered roughly with makeup. She only wore mascara on her eyes, which was unusual. No lip color tinted her chapped mouth. She looked as if she'd cried herself to sleep. Spencer knew what that looked like. He'd done that for seven weeks after Maeve's death. He'd spent an hour once a week in counseling with Victoria. Five months of counseling, and he finally felt human. He was no longer dreaming of Maeve. He no longer brooded over what could've been. He no longer relived that image of Maeve lying in a pool of her own blood. And all he'd had to do was talk. He'd opened up to Victoria about Maeve, and how it had made him feel to be Maeve's boyfriend, even if for a short time. He still missed her. God, how he wished things could've been different. But… He could smile. He could laugh. He didn't feel guilty for being alive, or for having fun. Maeve wouldn't have wanted him to do that.

But the more Spencer seemed to regain life, the more Victoria seemed to lose it. She looked drained and exhausted. Her shoulders were slumped. She'd lost weight. She barely smiled. She kept her arms crossed when she stood. She looked… frail. But she didn't talk about what was bothering her. And Spencer hadn't asked her. Ever since Maeve, their friendship didn't seem quite the same. There was something delicate about it now. Spencer constantly felt like he was walking on eggshells. Garcia seemed to be growing frustrated with him as well. Why, he had no idea. And Morgan seemed just as bewildered about as Spencer was. But still, Spencer hadn't asked.

The case they'd been working on had wrapped up earlier that day. They were set to fly back to Quantico the next morning. Spencer inhaled and sank into the chair beside Victoria. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Victoria croaked in a dead voice.

"You don't sound or look okay." Spencer murmured.

Victoria huffed. "I'm fine."

Spencer detected the lie. "Victoria." he urged.

Victoria looked up at him. Spencer's chest flashed with sharp pain at the darkness in Victoria's eyes. "I don't want to talk about it. Not here. Not now, okay?" she snapped.

Spencer pressed his lips together but nodded. "Okay." he croaked. But Victoria's tone had stung. He got up and dialed Garcia's number.

"Speak, oh fortunate one!" she cried.

"Garcia," said Spencer. "What's wrong with Victoria? I know you know."

Garcia was quiet for a long time. "I can't tell you. Why don't you ask her?"

"I have," said Spencer, puffing out a heated breath. "She won't tell me."

"I promised her I wouldn't tell." said Penelope.

"She's really hurting… And I don't know how to fix it." said Spencer. He felt helpless. How could he help Victoria if no one would tell him what was wrong? "Is it Korey?"

Garcia was quiet. "That's part of it," she said. "But Victoria hasn't told me anything about Korey. But… Reid, I think he's abusing her."

"Abusing her how?" Spencer said, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well… She's been really insecure lately. Several months ago, Korey got onto her about her weight." said Garcia.

"What?" Spencer hissed. "When was this, Garcia?"

"Uh… The day Maeve was kidnapped." replied Garcia.

Spencer widened his eyes. "He's emotionally abusing her, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Garcia. "Reid, she's been over at my house every weekend crying her eyes out. She feels worthless, and I don't know how to help her. I've tried telling her she's not, but it's not working. Reid, she needs to hear it from you. She needs to dump Korey, but… Either she's scared or she believes she deserves this."

"Nobody deserves this." said Spencer, looking over at Victoria, who had buried her face in her hands.

"She needs to hear it from you, Reid." said Garcia.

"Me? Why?" Spencer replied.

"You're her best friend! Your opinion matters to her, Reid. And you and I both know that Korey's gotta go. Please, talk to her." said Garcia.

"I'll try." said Spencer. He hung up. He licked his lips. What could he possibly say to her? How could he show her that she was worth something? She meant the world to him. He had literally cried in her arms during their earlier counseling sessions.

At the hotel, Spencer paced his room. He couldn't think of what he was going to say to Victoria. His mind had been racing for something, anything to say to her. Normally, he didn't have a problem with coming up with something to say. But he didn't know how to keep his friend from hurting. He put his face in his hands. He got to his feet and left his hotel room. He strode down the hall to Victoria's room. He knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it opened. Victoria widened her eyes when she saw him.

"Spence," she said. She opened the door wider. "Come in."

Spencer obeyed and shut the door. Victoria sat on her bed. Spencer sat on the edge and faced her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Victoria sighed. "Spence, I'm fine. I'm just worried about you."

"Victoria, we used to tell each other everything. Now, you lie to me and I feel like I have to watch what I say or I'll hurt you. Tell me what's going on." Spencer retorted.

"Nothing's wrong! I'm just stressed." said Victoria, her eyes flickering around the room. Anywhere but Spencer's face.

"It's been five and a half months since Maeve's death. It usually takes about half the amount of time spent with someone to move on from them. Maeve and I corresponded for ten months, but we only actually dated for six. I'm recovering, Victoria. I've been recovering. I miss her, yeah. And she'll always have a special place in my heart, but I'm not consumed with grief anymore. Right now, my best friend is hurting and she won't even tell me why." Spencer snapped.

Victoria stared at Spencer for a long time. "It's stupid."

"Victoria," Spencer barked.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm not happy with myself, okay? I'm supposed to be a writer, and I haven't published anything because I'm too scared to do it! I feel insecure about my body. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and seeing someone I hate!"

Spencer blinked. "Y-you hate yourself?"

Victoria shrugged. "A bit, yeah."

"Why?" Spencer asked. How could she hate herself?

"Spence, there are just some things you don't understand, okay?" Victoria said.

"Then help me understand." Spencer snapped.

"Please, Spencer," said Victoria. Her eyes welled with tears. Spencer's lips parted. How had he not noticed her? She looked broken. "Stop. I-I can't do this, okay? Please, go." Victoria sobbed.

Spencer widened his eyes. He got up. What could he say? "Korey's the one telling you these things, isn't he?"

Victoria's face blanched. "You don't understand." she whispered.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Spencer prompted.

"There's more to it than that." Victoria admitted.

Spencer wrung his hands. "Victoria, why are you with him?"

"Who else would want to be with me, Spencer?" Victoria snarled.

Spencer stared at her. _Me._ "You once told me that any girl would be lucky to have me. Well, any guy would be lucky to have you. And Korey doesn't see that. He should, though. Why can't you see that?"

Tears slid down Victoria's cheeks. She pressed her hands together in a prayer-like position. "Please, go." she whispered.

Spencer turned away from her and stormed out of her hotel room. His own eyes prickled with hot tears. He rubbed his face. "Whoa, Reid. What's wrong?" Morgan stood a few doors down, about to slide his card into his hotel room door.

Spencer looked at him. "I…" He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it. He sighed. "C-can we talk?"

Morgan raised his eyebrows. "Uh, sure." He opened his room door. Spencer strode inside and began pacing. "Reid, slow down. What's goin' on, man?"

Spencer paused and looked at Morgan. "I think Victoria's being abused by Korey."

Morgan blinked. "What makes you think that?"

"Have you not noticed her behavior?" Spencer questioned.

"She's been like that ever since Maeve's death." Morgan replied.

Spencer clenched his jaw and looked at the floor, feeling the familiar ache in his chest. But it was duller than it had been. He met Morgan's gaze. "She's lost weight. She wears long sleeves to work. She doesn't fix her hair anymore. She wears very little makeup. She's got dark circles under eyes and her lips are chapped. She keeps her head down and disappears into the bathroom to cry frequently. She's withdrawn herself from the team as much as she can. Garcia agrees with me."

Morgan inhaled. "All right," he allowed. "I've noticed that. But that's not proof."

"Victoria has been feeling insecure about herself. She just told me she hates herself. Does that sound like the Victoria we know?" Spencer continued.

"No, but she could've been hiding those feelings," said Morgan.

"She practically admitted it to me just now." Spencer added.

Morgan pressed his lips together. "Okay, that… That changes things."

"You've said you think Korey is suspicious and I agreed. He's a jealous narcissist, Morgan. I went over to Victoria's house once to hang out with her brothers and Korey threatened to beat me up if he ever found out that Victoria and I were sleeping together. We're not, of course. Korey is hurting her emotionally. I bet if we asked Victoria to roll up her shirt sleeves, she'd have bruises on her arms." Spencer said, shaking his hands.

Morgan raised a hand, palm forward. "Calm down, Reid. What was Victoria's reaction to your accusations of Korey?"

Spencer frowned and recalled how Victoria'd looked at him with a distinct jerk of her head and how her face had drained of color. "She looked terrified," he muttered. "And surprised that I'd guessed. She didn't try to deny it, either," Spencer continued, staring at the floor. _Who else would want to be with me, Spencer? …Me._ "I think she believes she deserves this."

Morgan frowned. "Why?"

"She said, 'Who else would want to be with me, Spencer?' She thinks that Korey is her only choice." said Spencer.

Morgan tilted his head. "Is he?"

Spencer frowned. His face jerked into spasm before composing. "Maeve and I talked for ten months. But I knew Victoria first. Not much longer than Maeve, only by a few months. And… She became my best friend. And then Maeve… I felt like she understood me, you know? She could say geeky jokes and I would understand and vice versa… I fell in love with Maeve pretty quickly. But I was also kind of conflicted about it." Spencer blew out a heavy breath. He hadn't told anyone this.

"Why did you feel conflicted, man?" Morgan murmured.

"Because I constantly felt like I was cheating on Victoria, even though we weren't and aren't together." Spencer admitted.

Morgan drew back, his eyebrows shooting up. "You love her, don't you?"

"I don't know," Spencer whimpered. He sank into a chair. "With Victoria, it's different than it was with Maeve. I guess it was sort of… exciting with Maeve. There was a lot of mystery. I didn't know what she looked like until… Well, you know that. I never knew what she was going to say. She kept me on my toes. But with Victoria… It's subtle. I feel… She's home. I can relax with her. When I yelled at her after Maeve's death, it was because… I felt like I'd been cheating on Maeve with her, too. And I didn't want to feel okay because it was my fault Maeve died and I knew Victoria would make me feel better and I didn't want that so I pushed her away and…"

"Reid, Reid, Reid, whoa," said Morgan, holding up his hands. "What happened to Maeve was not your fault. What happened is in the past, man. You're better now. If you think you love Victoria… Go for it. Don't give up, man. I think you're right about Korey. Save her from him, Reid."

Spencer blinked back tears. "I don't know how," he said. "She doesn't want me to."

"Don't give up. She'll come around. Don't feel guilty about Maeve. It wasn't your fault. You really think she felt that way?" Morgan said.

Spencer tried to blink the tears back, but one escaped. "No," he muttered. He looked up at Morgan. "I don't want Victoria to get hurt."

"Neither do I, kid. So don't let it happen." Morgan replied.

Spencer looked at his hands. Don't let it happen. Don't let it happen. _Don't let it happen._ "I won't."

…

Victoria waited in the parking lot at Quantico for Korey to pick her up. Her car was currently at the shop, hence the waiting. She watched for the bright headlights of Korey's black Cadillac. She sensed someone walking toward her. She didn't have to look to know it was Spencer.

"Hey," Spencer murmured.

"Hi," Victoria replied.

"I'm sorry." Spencer said.

Victoria looked at him. "For what?"

"For what I said last night." said Spencer.

Victoria lowered her gaze. "You were being honest. You have nothing to apologize for." She turned away. She could see a black Cadillac pulling up.

"I could've said it better," said Spencer.

"It's fine, Spencer." said Victoria, without looking at him. She started to walk toward Korey's car.

Spencer caught her by the elbow. Victoria looked at him. "I… I'm sorry."

Victoria softened. "It's okay. You were honest. That's more than Korey gives me."

Spencer looked pained. "So leave him."

Victoria pursed her lips. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?" Spencer shot back.

Victoria closed her eyes. "Please, don't do this."

"Is there a problem here?" Korey's voice sent Victoria's heart racing. She opened her eyes. Spencer let go of her arm. It dropped to her side.

"Hi Korey," said Spencer. His voice cracked slightly. Victoria glanced at him. Her lashes were wet with tears she'd held back.

"Dr. Reid," Korey returned coldly. He turned to Victoria. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey, guys," called Morgan. "The rest of us are going out for drinks. Wanna come?"

"Sure," said Spencer.

"I don't know, I kind of just want to go home." said Victoria.

"Let's go for a drink." Korey urged.

Victoria looked at him, trembling. His hard blue eyes stared back. Victoria drew a quivering breath and braved a smile. "Sure. Why not?" she said, turning to look at Morgan.

"Great. We're going to The Stage." said Morgan.

Victoria dipped her head. "Okay." She slid into Korey's car.

"What did Dr. Reid want?" Korey asked, hopping into the driver's seat.

 _For me to break up with you._ "Just making sure I'm okay." Victoria responded monotonously.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Korey asked, steering the car down the street.

Victoria shrugged. "I've just been stressed at work. There's a guy replicating cases we've solved, so we're all just a little on edge."

"You've been staying late at work once a week," said Korey. "Is it because of this guy replicating the crimes?"

"No," said Victoria. She wasn't going to lie. "A team member watched someone they love die right in front of them. I've been counseling them."

"It's Dr. Reid, isn't it?" said Korey.

"Yeah," said Victoria. Korey pulled up to the club. Victoria moved to grab her purse.

"Don't get out of the car just yet," said Korey. Victoria stiffened. She pulled away from her purse. "You love him, don't you?"

Victoria looked at Korey, her eyes wide. "N-no," she lied.

"Don't fucking lie to me," Korey seethed. Victoria just stared at him. "If you break up with me for that skinny ass motherfucker, I will beat the ever living fuck out of him." Korey got out of the car. Victoria let out a long, shivering breath. She panted, trying to let the anxiety attack drift away. She gasped for breath for a while longer and then got out of the car.

…

Spencer made his way over to Victoria, who was standing in the corner. They'd been there for about an hour and Victoria had retreated to the corner about twenty minutes ago. Korey was off dancing. Spencer scowled when he saw some girl grinding on Korey. "Hey." Spencer greeted Victoria.

She smiled at him. "Hey," she replied. She sounded tired.

"Not having fun?" Spencer asked, grinning.

Victoria chuckled. "I'm more of a stay-at-home-and-watch-Netflix kind of girl."

"I know," Spencer chortled. His humor faded. "Are you okay? I know I've been asking that a lot, but… I'm worried about you."

Victoria pursed her lips. "No, I'm not." Her eyes welled with tears. Spencer widened his eyes.

"Why are you still with him? He's hurting you and I hate seeing you like this." he muttered.

Victoria inhaled, staring up at the ceiling, holding back her tears. "There are moments where I see a different side to him. Moments where it feels magical. Moments where… It makes it all worth it."

Spencer shook his head. "Victoria, that isn't realistic. You're very smart. But this… This isn't smart of you. You're going to get hurt. You're already hurting."

Victoria looked at the floor. "You don't know everything, Spencer."

"I never said I did." Spencer protested.

"You didn't have to," Victoria snapped, looking up. "Just leave it alone, okay? This is my relationship. Stop meddling in it!" Spencer opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by Korey shimmying over and promptly squeezing Victoria's rear. She wheeled around, her cheeks flaming and her eyes flashing. " _Don't you ever fucking do that again!_ " she snarled. Spencer's eyes stretched open in unison with Korey's. Victoria seemed surprised at herself. She took a moment to compose herself. "I'm going home. I'll call a cab." she said. With that, she left the club.

Korey watched her go. "She's such a fucking buzzkill."

"Shouldn't you go and make sure she's okay?" Spencer responded coolly.

Korey rolled his eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "I don't want to deal with that cunt right now."

Spencer watched Korey return to the dance floor. He grinned and grinded on the girl and nipped at her ear. Some of the other team members noticed and made faces. But Spencer backed out of the club and went after Victoria. It wasn't enough for Korey to belittle Victoria, no, he had to cheat on her too? Spencer pursed his lips and looked around outside. Victoria was sitting on the curb, sobbing. Spencer gazed at her with rounded eyes and parted lips. He shuffled over to her and sank down beside her.

"Victoria…" he muttered.

Victoria sniffled. "W-when I was thirteen, my p-parents split up," she said. "My dad h-had cheated on my mom. B-but he showed that h-he was m-more of a monster than we could've imagined," Victoria put her face in her hands. "H-he turned to me. M-my dad molested me."

Spencer gaped at her. "You never told me that."

Victoria laughed bitterly. "It's not something I can just bring up," she said. "It was never… He never… He grabbed my ass a lot and 'accidentally' walked in on me changing or showering… It never got to the point where it escalated to more. That's why… That's why I snapped at Korey just now."

Spencer moved to put an arm around Victoria's shoulders. He hesitated, then decided she needed him more than he feared her rejection. He pulled her close. "I'm so sorry." he murmured.

"It's not your fault." Victoria whispered.

"Let me drive you home." Spencer said. He felt Victoria nod against his shoulder. He helped her to her feet and led her to the car. They were silent the whole drive to Victoria's house. She'd been molested? Korey was willing to cheat on her and break her spirit. She hated herself. Victoria was breaking, right before his eyes. And there was nothing he could do about it. He felt so helpless. How was he supposed to make her see that she didn't deserve what Korey was putting her through?

He glanced at her. She was staring out the window into the darkness. He did love her. It wasn't supposed to have been that way, but it was. He didn't love her the same way he loved Maeve, and that was okay. He felt that his love for Victoria… Well, it wouldn't burn out too quickly. He loved her and all her jagged, broken pieces of her soul. She'd been right in front of him the whole time he'd been loving a girl whose face he'd never seen. He didn't regret loving Maeve. He didn't regret it at all. But he regretted not realizing that Victoria had been right before his eyes all along. He pulled into Victoria's driveway. He walked her to the door. But he was in no hurry to leave.

"Thank you." Victoria croaked. She stared at Spencer's tie. She seemed to be refusing to meet his eyes.

"Has Korey hit you?" Spencer demanded.

"No." Victoria muttered.

"Not yet," Spencer sighed.

Victoria looked up at him. "We need to stay away from each other."

Spencer widened his eyes. No. No, no, no. "What?"

"Korey… He doesn't want us near each other so much." Victoria muttered.

Spencer's eyes burned. "You're staying with him?"

Victoria shrugged. "I guess."

"Victoria, he's abusive. He pressures you into sex. He has torn you apart and I'm pretty sure he's cheating on you, too! Those feelings you have for him? They're not going to last! It's all just fantasy! You're playing a deadly game by being so naïve!" Spencer yelled.

Victoria closed her eyes. Spencer watched her cheeks glisten as tears slid down to her chin. "There's more to it."

"Victoria, please, tell me. Let me help you. Maeve wouldn't let me help her… And…" Spencer swallowed and blinked back tears. "Please, let me help you."

Victoria opened her eyes. "Spencer Reid, drop it!" she shouted.

Spencer pursed his lips. "He's horrible to you ninety percent of the time. And then he does something good, and all of that horribleness vanishes. The good is all you see, because he's beaten you down so much you don't know how twisted and poisonous your relationship is. You were once able to see that. What changed?"

"You just don't understand!" Victoria seethed.  
"Why? Because my girlfriend was killed right in front of me?" Spencer retorted. Victoria didn't answer. "You're mistaking lust and infatuation and fear for love. It's immature and it's going to get you hurt."

Victoria crossed her arms. "Just stop! Stop it! There's more to it!"

"Then explain it to me! Because it seems pretty simple to me!" Spencer snapped.

"I can't." Victoria insisted, her voice trembling.

Spencer huffed. "Fine. Stay with him," he barked. Victoria flinched. "But you're right. We need to stay away from each other. I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"What do you mean?" Victoria whispered.

"Just… Stay away from me, all right? You're torturing yourself. I've tried to stop you and you won't let me. So just… keep your distance. Goodbye, Victoria." Spencer's voice broke on Victoria's name. He turned away, his whole body shivering. He got into his car. He looked into his rearview mirror, watching Victoria shrink as he drove away.

 **…**

 **Guest: Thanks for the review!**

 **cassari: Haha, thank you! I'm glad you love it!**

 **Rhiannon: Wow, thank you! That means a lot!**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews! They really do encourage me to write more, getting your feedback. Let's me know what I'm doing right/wrong. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I stayed up till the wee hours writing it when I should be doing my English homework… Lol hooray for procrastination. Let me know what you guys thought! Sorry for the language. _** ****


	11. Chapter 11

**_The Replicator_**

"Are you guys okay?" Penelope's voice demanded over the phone.

"Yeah, I've got Derek and Victoria with me. We're meeting everyone at the hotel." said JJ.

"I don't know how he got in! I check and double check everything! I'm constantly upgrading…!" Penelope cried.

"I'm trying to shut down the system before the Replicator can." chimed in Kevin Lynch's voice.

"It's not your fault, Penelope. He's just that good." said Victoria.

"He wanted us to know he's here hunting us." Morgan added.

"Hold on, you've got an external override. And the only way to get in is with a preauthorized hardline and he didn't get in via Quantico." said Kevin.

"Oh my God…" Penelope breathed.

"What?" demanded Morgan.

"He was in my house!" Penelope wailed. Victoria exchanged a glance with JJ and Morgan. The hack into Garcia's system had put the team on high alert. It seemed the Replicator was done replicating crimes and was now targeting the team. Everyone had been attacked, one way or another. JJ had received flowers with a note attached with the inscription, _Zugzwang_. Garcia had been hacked with Zugzwang all over her screens. Spencer had received the phone call, "Zugzwang," when Maeve had been kidnapped. Victoria had received a wedding congratulatory card with the word Zugzwang written inside a few days ago. The thought of it sent chills down her spine. The Replicator knew she was engaged to Korey.

…

As soon as Spencer saw Victoria in the hallway, he stood closer to her. His anger with her vanished at the thought of the Replicator hurting her, or anyone on his team.

"Strauss is missing. Blake, Parker and Reid talk to hotel security. We need access to exit points and footage from every camera. Morgan, back up Dave on the roof. JJ take the west staircase. I'll take the east." Hotch ordered.

Spencer nodded. The team dispersed. Spencer, Blake and Victoria hurried to the hotel lobby. Victoria found the nearest security guard. "We need to look over security footage, focusing on exit points and material from every camera." said Victoria, flashing her badge. Spencer watched the guard widen his eyes at Victoria's badge.

"Uh, sure thing." he said. He led them to the surveillance room. He pulled up footage from the cameras.

"Go back about half an hour ago." said Spencer.

"I can't," said the security guard. "The footage has been wiped."

Spencer glanced at Victoria. Blake made a call to Garcia, asking her to pull up footage from ATMs and traffic cameras. Those had been cleared, too. Spencer parted his lips. Blake received a call.

"Morgan," she said. Spencer watched as Blake's face fell. "Oh. Okay. Thanks," she muttered. She hung up. "Strauss is dead."

Spencer's stomach knotted. He glanced at Victoria. Her eyes were wide with shock. Alex left the surveillance room. Victoria moved to follow her, but Spencer stopped her. "Victoria… I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything." he murmured, his voice cracking.

"Don't say that," Victoria snapped. Spencer frowned at her. Victoria didn't look angry. Her eyes sparkled with tears. "It sounds like you're saying goodbye."

Spencer nodded. "Let's go." He led Victoria outside, where an ambulance and the rest of the team was waiting. Strauss's body was loaded up onto the ambulance.

"We've got an APB but the description of the Replicator is too general." said JJ.

"Hotel security footage was wiped out. ATM and traffic cameras are compromised as well," Spencer informed them. "He hacked into at least two dozen systems."

"He got into Garcia's place which means he can get anywhere. This guy's bragging." said Morgan.

"It's not just enough to take massive risks and get away with it. That's probably why he took Strauss into a crowd of people." said Spencer.

"That, and to humiliate her publicly." said JJ.

"But he called Hotch from her phone," pointed out Blake. "It was important to him that we found her alive."

"The director wants this contained and solved." said Hotch, joining the group.

"At least he's not taking us off the case." said Morgan.

"He's giving us twenty-four hours and then he will." said Hotch.

…

Victoria sat next to Spencer on the jet heading back to Quantico. Strauss was dead. Victoria had never been very close to the woman, but Victoria had felt… protected, in a way, by Strauss. If Strauss could be taken by the Replicator, who else? Who would be next? Blake? Rossi? Morgan? JJ? Hotch? Penelope? …Spencer? Victoria reached for Spencer's hand. She gripped it tightly. Spencer glanced at her, eyebrows raised in surprise. But he didn't pull away. He squeezed her hand in reply. Victoria let out a relaxed breath. She closed her eyes. No one was going to touch her family.

"He knew about Foyett?" said JJ on the elevator.

"Who's that?" asked Blake.

"He was the man who killed my wife." said Hotch.

Victoria glanced at him. She'd read the case file, because she'd been authorized to do such in order to learn about the team before she'd taken the job as their evaluator. "That's a classified case that's not in any database." said Morgan.

"Yeah, you have to have federal credentials to read it. Even then it's difficult to gain access to it." said Victoria.

"Then how would the Replicator know about it?" asked Blake.

"If he had access to the case file then we're talking about someone on the inside." said Spencer.

"Conference room in five." said Hotch. Victoria hurried off to fetch Garcia. Penelope threw her arms around Victoria.

"Oh, I'm glad you guys made it back safely. How's Rossi?" Penelope said.

"Not so good. C'mon." said Victoria.

"I set up some stuff in the conference room." said Penelope, walking with Victoria to the round table room.

"Garcia, is this everything?" Hotch asked as Victoria and Penelope seated themselves.

"Yeah. The Replicator's stuff is here and the team's stuff is there," said Penelope, indicating to the two boards plastered with photos and evidence. "Okay, so, I started with that question you asked, why Strauss and on this day."

"The most obvious answer is that it's an anniversary of some sort." said Spencer.

"But there's nothing historically relevant." said Garcia.

"It could be the smallest thing. Concentrate on New York and on the dates, the setting could be important, too." said Spencer.

"It would be easier to attack Strauss at home. Is there a reason why he waited for her to be out?" said JJ.

"Well considering she's hardly in the field, he got lots of pictures of her. It's like he's obsessed with her." said Morgan, examining the board.

"Maybe Strauss was always his first target." suggested Blake. "He attacked the top of the BAU chain first."

"All right. Reid, you've matched up all the murder location with their dates. Now we need to know how long it would take to drive to these locations assuming a home base is in the district. He brought the fight here for a reason." said Hotch.

"It's nearly impossible to figure out when he arrived and departed in New York, but we should try." said Morgan.

"Okay. I'll collect all the public and private transportation stuff." said Penelope.

"Garcia, I need Kevin to go through every pixel of these photographs. This unsub gets off on taunting us. He's given us answers here, we just haven't found them yet." said Hotch.

…

Spencer looked up from his geographical profiling after Rossi mentioned a figure eight scratched into Strauss's wrist over the phone. "A figure eight?" said Hotch, frowning.

"That's what it looks like. I just sent a picture to you all." said Rossi.

"Maybe it's an infinity symbol," said Spencer, looking at the picture.

"Well, if it's infinity, he could be boasting he'll go on forever." suggested Blake.

"Or, if it's an eight, Strauss was his eighth victim." said Morgan.

"And the unofficial eighth member of our team, Parker being the ninth." said JJ.

Spencer glanced at Victoria. Would that make her the Replicator's ninth target? Spencer pursed his lips. There was no way in hell Victoria would be the ninth victim. None of his team would be. "If this is a taunt from him, it's too random." said Hotch.

"Well, he's only sent one message and he seems real proud of it." said Morgan.

"Zugzwang." said Spencer. Derek nodded.

"Then what does this mean? Rossi, the cut looks jagged. Any idea what caused it?" asked JJ.

"Best guess is a piece of glass." said Rossi's voice. "The ME's checking for splinters now."

"The glasses at the mini bar?" Morgan guessed.

"Those were all plastic." said Rossi.

"All right. Let us know what you find out." said Hotch. He hung up on Rossi. "Anything from the photographs yet?"

"I blew up a few more and this one stands out." said Morgan, sliding over a picture of himself in a tuxedo.

"When were you in a tuxedo?" asked JJ.

"British Embassy event." Morgan answered.

"Security clearance is _high_." said Blake.

"Security was insane that night! That kind of accessibility plus knowing about Foyett, the fact that he was able to get past all my security clearances _alone_ … You guys have to trust your gut. The Replicator's gotta be on the inside." said Penelope. Spencer and Victoria exchanged a grim glance.

…

Hotch burst into the conference room after being in Garcia's bat cave for several minutes. "Parker, who all reads your reports on us?" he demanded.

Victoria felt all of the team's eyes on her. "I turned them into Strauss, met with Cramer every three months and the director oversees everything. Other than that, I have no idea. You'd have to go to Cramer." she answered.

Hotch nodded. "That's what Kevin said. They've been reading my case reports, too. Parker, I want you to come with me. You're going to need to wear something nice."

Victoria nodded. She rushed out of the room and dug into her go bag. She had a navy business dress with a cream bow belt and heels inside. She changed in the bathroom. Her hair was messy, so she pulled it up into a ponytail. She reapplied her mascara and left the bathroom. Hotch was waiting for her.

As they drove to Cramer's office building, Hotch debriefed Victoria. "There are other people reading your evaluations and my case reports. We need that list. The Replicator's on it. He knows too much about our personal lives and cases to not be."

"Yes sir." said Victoria.

They tracked down Cramer, who was heading to a meeting. "Senator Cramer, we need to speak with you. It's urgent." said Hotch.

"Agent Hotchner, I have a very full day." said Cramer.

"Yes sir, we all do," said Hotch. "Senator, can I suggest we move this to your office?"

"There's nothing you can tell me that these walls haven't heard before." said Cramer.

"You've been watching us for nearly two years." said Hotch.

"That's no secret. Agent Parker has been with you since that ordeal with Agent Prentiss. She's at the London office now. It's a good fit for her. We told you we'd be watching you closely." said Cramer.

"Parker and I have sent reports to the director and you've seen them." said Hotch.

"Well, agent, that's classified." sneered Cramer.

"It wasn't a question. I know you're on the list and that you've been keeping tabs on us." said Hotch.

"We need to know who else is on that list." said Victoria.

"I'm not answering that until I get some insight as to what this is all about." said Cramer. He narrowed his eyes at Victoria. "And you should not have told them you were meeting with me."

Victoria lifted her chin haughtily but didn't reply. "There's a man who's been replicating the crimes we've solved in the last year." said Hotch.

"Strauss told us all about it." said Cramer.

"He killed her last night," said Victoria. "In New York, she was murdered."

Cramer's smug smirk vanished from his face and gave way to shock. "What? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"The director's keeping this contained. We believe this unsub is targeting the rest of us and we've determined that he is in one of the highest ranks of the justice system. And he's been reading Parker's and my reports." said Hotch.

"We need the names, sir." said Victoria.

Cramer pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded once. "Very well."

…

"John Curtis… He was quiet, a loner… His passion was biochemistry." said Blake. Spencer widened his eyes and glanced at his team. The Replicator was John Curtis. They got up to get their vests and head to John Curtis's property for the takedown. Spencer paused before Victoria. There was so much he wanted to say. He just gazed into her aquamarine eyes. _I love you._ Victoria wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist. "Please, be safe." she whispered.

Spencer buried his face in the crook of Victoria's neck, his arms around her waist. "I will."

…

Victoria and Penelope watched the cameras of John Curtis's property from the helicopters' view. They listened to the team via headset. Victoria bit her lip when she noticed the cameras went down. Garcia and Kevin worked fiercely to bring the footage back up. Victoria widened her eyes at the excessive beeping.

"What's happening?" she demanded.

"Autopilot seized." replied Hotch's voice.

"Oh God." whispered Garcia. Victoria and Penelope gripped hands. The beeping stopped, but there was no sound of a crash.

"Are you guys okay?" Victoria asked.

"We're stabilized." replied Hotch.

Penelope, Kevin and Victoria relaxed. Then the beeping started again. "Brace for impact!" cried the pilot. Victoria and Penelope gripped hands as they waited for the crash. Victoria closed her eyes at the deafening boom of the helicopter crashing. Tears leaked through her lashes and plopped onto her cheeks. Spencer was on that helicopter, along with Blake and Hotch. If any of them died… Victoria shuddered with a silent sob. Penelope pulled Victoria into a hug. Kevin immediately got on the phone, trying to figure out what happened and to speed the SWAT team along. Victoria withdrew from Penelope, but still gripped the tech's hand tightly.

"Are they okay?" Victoria hissed. She needed to know that they were okay. Her connection with them had been cut off. She took off the headset and set it down. She didn't want to listen to the deafening silence anymore.

Kevin didn't answer. "Are they okay?" demanded Penelope.

Kevin finished his phone call. "As a precaution they landed on opposite sides of the property. The controls were taken over by remote override, which can only happen within a five mile radius." he explained.

"He knew they were coming." realized Penelope.

"And how they were getting there." said Kevin.

Victoria didn't care about how it happened. She wanted to know that her family was safe. "Kevin, are they okay?" she demanded.

Kevin looked at her sympathetically. "I don't know yet."

…

"If he wanted to kill all of us, he could've." said JJ.

Spencer walked with Morgan, Hotch and JJ, heading for the property. He was still a bit sore from the crash, but he was okay. "He's playing God like he has been all year. He hard-landed us, knocked us out with whatever was in that canister so he could take Blake." Spencer said.

"He had plenty of chances to take her before tonight. He wants it to be a spectacle." said Hotch.

Spencer and his team arrived at John Curtis's house. Spencer stared at the dark windows. The Replicator was somewhere inside. He'd succeeded in keeping Victoria safe, but now he was worried about Blake. For some reason, John Curtis had a vendetta against Blake. Well, Spencer knew the reason. Blake and Curtis had lost everything at the same time. But while Blake rose through the ranks, Curtis faded into the woodwork. And Curtis was not happy about it.

The SWAT team arrived. Hotch went off to discuss a breaching strategy. When he was done, he announced to Spencer and the rest of the team that they were ready. Spencer withdrew his gun and headed for the house. He and Hotch found a hatch in the ground. Spencer pulled open the door while Hotch pointed his gun inside. Hotch led the way into the basement of Curtis's house, Spencer following close behind. Spencer and Hotch came in sync with JJ and Morgan. The four of them found an extra room, where Blake was chained to a chair. JJ and Morgan continued on to find Curtis. Hotch removed the gag from Blake's mouth. Spencer crouched to examine the locks. Keys were provided. This was too easy…

"He said there are eight keys there're eight of us left." said Blake.

"Eight locks, six keys so two will be used twice… Each letter corresponds with a number. Seven is G…" said Spencer, examining the labeled keys and locks.

"What are the other letters?" asked Hotch.

"Uh, Z, U, G, W… Zugzwang." Spencer muttered. He looked at his teammates. "It's too easy."

JJ and Morgan returned to the room through the only door. "He's got the place lined with C-4. We've only got about three minutes." Morgan announced.

"This seems too easy…" muttered Spencer as he unlocked Blake. "Zugzwang also means a dilemma in chess where the best move is to not move at all," he explained. Just as Blake began to stand, he saw it. "Wait, don't get up!" Too late. Their only exit door slammed shut. "It's a pressure sensor." Spencer explained, gesturing to the chair.

Spencer stood, meeting JJ's terrified gaze. She clutched at her sister's necklace. Spencer gazed at his friends. His family. He prayed Victoria would forgive him. He wished he'd been able to tell Victoria that he loved her. He wished he could've seen his mother one last time.

The door opened. Rossi smiled at the team. "That bastard's not hurting anyone else I love. Let's go." he said. Spencer let JJ and Blake go before him. He ran out with the others. Hotch yelled at the SWAT team to get back and take cover. Spencer glanced back. Rossi was gone. Spencer stopped in his tracks.

"Wait, where's Rossi?" Spencer yelled.

"Dave!" roared Hotch.

"He just let us out, why would he go back in?" Morgan demanded.

Before they could react, Rossi burst from the house. The team took cover behind an SUV just as the house exploded into smithereens.

…

Victoria gasped when she saw the team. She hugged each one individually. John Curtis was dead. Her team was safe. Victoria embraced Spencer, feeling her eyes burn with tears. Spencer squeezed her in reply. Victoria moved from Spencer and hugged Penelope, stifling a sob.

"Oh." Penelope murmured in surprise. She rubbed Victoria's back. "It's okay. We're all okay."

Victoria withdrew and nodded. She gave the team a watery smile. "Yeah. I'm glad you're all safe."

"Everyone go home. Get some rest. I better not see any of you here tomorrow, except Parker." said Hotch.

Victoria nodded. "Yes sir." She gathered her things and headed to the elevator.

"Why are you going in tomorrow?" asked Morgan.

"Oh," said Victoria as Morgan, JJ, Rossi and Spencer piled onto the elevator with her. "Standard procedure stuff. The director wants Hotch's and my reports." Victoria swallowed. It wasn't a total lie. When the elevator reached the ground floor, Victoria stepped off hurriedly. "Bye, guys." She shuffled away before the rest of the team could respond. Her eyes welled with tears. This had been her last case with the BAU profilers.

The next morning, Victoria pulled on black tights, a cream-colored skirt and a black shirt. She slipped on black heels and curled her hair. She kept her makeup simple but classy and made sure to wear waterproof mascara. She grabbed her purse and headed for the BAU. She met Hotch at the bullpen. The two of them headed in silence for the conference room, where they waited for Senator Cramer to show up. Victoria's hands trembled as she pulled her final evaluation of the team out of her bag.

"It's been a pleasure working with you, Agent Parker." said Hotch.

Victoria met his gaze. Despite his formality, Hotch's eyes glimmered with sadness. Victoria offered him a small smile. "The pleasure was all mine, Agent Hotchner."

Cramer entered the conference room and closed the door. He sat down at the round table. "The director couldn't be here, as you well know. Your reports?" he said. Victoria and Hotch passed their reports to Cramer wordlessly. Cramer cleared his throat. "Agent Parker, the director has expressed his concerns that this team will need further evaluating after the trauma with this whole… Replicator thing."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "Sir?"

Cramer looked at her. "If you'd be interested, we want to extend your stay with this team for another year."

Victoria glanced at Hotch, who seemed just as surprised as she was. Victoria looked at Cramer. "I… Yes. Yes, I would be honored to work with this team another year." she said.

Cramer dipped his head. "Good. Thank you." He stood and left the conference room. Victoria and Hotch stood and watched Cramer leave the bullpen.

Victoria looked at Hotch, who was trying very hard not to smile too big. Victoria laughed and hugged Hotch. He chuckled. "It's great to have you back." said Hotch, squeezing Victoria's shoulder. Victoria beamed.

…

Spencer sat at a round table in Rossi's backyard. It was the evening after Strauss's funeral. Morgan had just finished a story of Strauss being one hell of a shot.

"Remember that time when she called me, and I thought it was somebody else?" chuckled Penelope, gesturing to Morgan with a sheepish grin.

JJ laughed. "That was funny."

"Maybe to you! I was mortified!" said Penelope.

"What did you say?" asked Blake.

"Talk dirty to me…" mumbled Penelope.

Spencer noticed Victoria gag on her wine. He chuckled. "You did not!" gasped Blake.

"Hey, that was my line." said David.

Spencer laughed along with the team and sank into the bittersweet memories of Strauss. Eventually, they all fell silent. "Wait… Isn't… Wasn't this Victoria's last case?" said Garcia.

Spencer looked at Victoria, eyes wide. No… He didn't want her to go. "Actually," said Victoria, hiding a smile, "the director extended my time with you guys for another year. Apparently he thinks you'll need me."

"So… You're staying?" Penelope breathed.

Victoria nodded. "Mhm."

Spencer couldn't stop his grin from spreading. The rest of the team looked just as relieved. Rossi tapped his glass to quiet them down. He raised it for a toast. "Last year we had a… very different celebration. One of life, of love… and good people. This year, it's the… It's the other side of that. Because that's what families do. It's been a hard year," Rossi said. He glanced at Spencer, who pressed his lips together, thinking of Maeve. The sting of her loss didn't hurt as badly as it used to, but it was still there. He felt Victoria's hand slip into his underneath the table. "But tonight, we celebrate a life well-lived, well-loved… To a good woman. An even better mother, to our friend. Who I will miss very much." Rossi finished the toast. Spencer clinked his glass against his teammates' glasses for Erin Strauss.

"And we're very happy to have Victoria remain a part of the family for another year." said Penelope.

Victoria smiled sheepishly. "Thank you." Spencer squeezed her hand. He glanced at her for a moment. He felt the words on the tip of his tongue. But now was not the time, nor place. He wasn't sure it would ever be the right moment.

…

On the second to last night of her two week summer vacation, Victoria drove to The Stage for a night of dancing with her teammates. Her mind sank into an ocean of thought. She was surfacing from the stormy sea she'd been drowning in for the past two years. Two years of her life… Wasted. She was emerging, and it felt great. She grinned to herself. No longer was Korey going to control her. He did not get to dictate how she felt about herself. And he was no longer going to scare her. Love had been right in front of her all along. Spencer. She took off her engagement ring and dropped it in the cup holder. A weight lifted off her shoulders. She parked her car and strode toward the club. She entered the casual bar and found her team.

"V!" cried Penelope, raising her arms.

Victoria laughed as she was passed from hug to hug by each team member. "Hi!" Victoria greeted them. Victoria wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist. He squeezed her tightly and buried his face in the crook of her neck for a moment. Victoria withdrew from Spencer, smiling.

"You're so… smiley!" gasped Penelope.

"Thanks?" Victoria chuckled.

"You're not wearing your ring," said Penelope. Victoria lifted her weightless hand. She smirked at Garcia, who bounced with excitement. "You broke up with him?!"

"Not officially," said Victoria. "But I have in my mind. I just need to have a talk with him."

"You need a drink!" cried Garcia.

…

Spencer danced with JJ, laughing as he stumbled over his own feet. "Spence," JJ hissed. Spencer raised his eyebrows at her. "Go for Victoria. I know how you feel about her."

"She's still with Korey." Spencer pointed out.

"She's going to break up with him. You need to tell her. Don't let it pass you by." said JJ.

Spencer sighed. The song came to an end. A new one started. JJ was swept away by Morgan. Spencer found himself facing Victoria. He placed a hand on her waist. He gripped her other hand and held it close to his chest. They swayed together in silence. "What made you decide to break up with him?" Spencer murmured.

"You," said Victoria. "I couldn't stand us being angry with each other because of that asshole. And I was tired of letting him destroy me."

"Good," said Spencer, a little harsher than he'd meant. "I was tired of watching him do that to you."

"I know," Victoria murmured. "I was scared, too. He threatened that if I ever broke up with him to be with you, he'd… Well, he'd beat the ever living fuck out of you."

Spencer stiffened. Not because he was afraid of Korey's threat, but because Victoria had implied she was leaving Korey for him. "You stayed with him… To protect me?"

"Sort of," said Victoria. "Also because I was an idiot. I'm scared to actually do it, Spence. He hasn't been violent yet, but…"

Spencer looked at her. "Don't let that stop you. If you stay with him, it'll escalate."

"I know. I'm not. I'm just scared. I haven't returned any of his calls or anything. I'm kind of blindsiding him." said Victoria.

"Do you need me to be there?" Spencer offered.

Victoria shook her head. "No. I have to do this on my own. But thank you."

Spencer nodded. "Of course."

"HEY!" bellowed a male voice. Spencer looked up. He widened his eyes when Korey shoved Spencer away from Victoria. Korey got in Victoria's face. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? You don't answer any of my calls or texts? I thought something had happened to you! And you're just out with your friends? You fucking bitch! What's your problem, you stupid whore?"

"Back off, Korey." muttered Victoria.

"Back off? You want me to back off? No, we're leaving and you're gonna fucking tell me why you have been ignoring me!" shouted Korey, grabbing Victoria by the arm. Spencer stepped forward.

"Let go of her." Spencer ordered.

"Shut the fuck up," spat Korey. "I know you've been fucking my fiancée, you piece of shit."

"I have not been doing that," said Spencer calmly. "Let her go."

"No," sneered Korey. "I have some things to discuss with my fiancée, if you don't mind." He yanked Victoria close to him. She struggled to get free, her eyes wide with fear.

There was no way in hell Spencer was letting Korey take Victoria. "Let her go!" Spencer snapped.

Korey let go of Victoria and shoved Spencer back. "Who the fuck do you think you are? This is our business, stay out of it!"

"Back off, man." said Morgan, joining the fray. Spencer grabbed Victoria and stood in front of her.

"Or what?" Korey snarled.

"Unless you want to be arrested for assault, I suggest you leave." said Hotch, stepping in front of Korey.

Korey worked his jaw angrily. He pointed at Victoria. "This isn't over, bitch." He stormed out of the bar.

Spencer could feel Victoria trembling against him. "Reid," said Hotch. "Take her home. Stay there. Lock up her house."

Spencer nodded. He walked Victoria out of the bar and to his car.

…

"I'm sorry about Korey," said Victoria, sitting on her couch beside Spencer.

"It's okay," said Spencer. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," said Victoria, rubbing her arm where Korey had gripped her. Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm such an idiot."

"No, you're not," said Spencer firmly.

"Why did I dig myself into this hole? I let him do this to me because I thought I didn't deserve better… And our relationship was so immature and toxic… But I ignored it because I thought… I thought he was the only man who would come close to loving me." Victoria sobbed. She felt Spencer's arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and cried until her throat hurt and her eyelids felt heavy. She cried until she fell asleep, wrapped in her best friend's embrace.

 **...**

 **Thanks for all the reviews and such! You guys are amazing! Keep it up, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We have officially left Season 8! I plan on doing most of season 9, if not all. Thank you!**


	12. Chapter 12

**_The Inspiration_**

 **WARNING: Strong adult material ahead! Language, violence and mentions of rape! If this is a trigger for you, don't read! (This is why I might up the rating of my story to M).** ****

Victoria smiled as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Her heels clacked against the hardwood floor as she traipsed around her kitchen, humming to herself. She added creamer and sugar to her coffee. "Boys!" she called.

"Yeah?" Jason replied, entering the kitchen.

"My friend Sophie is gonna take you guys to school. You might stay with her for a while. Looks like this case is out of town." Victoria said.

Jason nodded and rubbed his eye sleepily. "Can I go back to bed? It's six in the morning."

"Set your alarm for seven." Victoria ordered. Jason nodded and disappeared.

Victoria sipped from her coffee and turned toward the living room. Her heart stopped at the sight of Korey standing in the doorway. She dropped her coffee mug, which shattered and splattered a mixture of coffee and glass all over the floor. "Miss me?" Korey said, smirking.

Victoria struggled to control her breathing. "K-Korey," she muttered. "What are you doing here?"

Korey strode into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "I told you this wasn't over." He sat down at the kitchen table and sipped from the mug, watching Victoria over the rim of the cup.

Victoria swallowed. "You can't be in my house."

"Why not?" Korey asked, setting down the mug. "I'm your fiancée."

Victoria trembled. "Not anymore."

Korey pursed his lips. "What?"

Victoria drew a shuddering breath. She walked toward the counter. She grabbed Korey's engagement ring and set it on the table before him. "We're done, Korey. What we have… It's unhealthy. Toxic. Immature. You've broken me down to believing that I am ugly and worthless, and that is not true. You don't treat the people you love that way. I've been naïve, but my eyes are open now. I don't love you. I'm infatuated with you."

Korey stared at the engagement ring for a long time. Then, in one fluid motion, he swiped the ring and coffee mug off the table and onto the floor. Victoria jumped. Korey leapt up. "Are you fucking kidding me? Are you FUCKING KIDDING ME?" he bellowed. He grabbed Victoria by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall. Victoria closed her eyes, feeling tears threaten to spill over. "What the hell is wrong with you, cunt? You don't have the balls to admit you've been opening your legs for every fucker that walks by? Just be a woman and admit it!" he snarled.

Victoria opened her eyes. Her cheeks were wet with tears. "Korey, I didn't cheat on you, I never cheated on you!"

"Liar!" Korey snapped. He hauled Victoria onto the floor. "I saw that Dr. Reid stayed the night here the other night." Victoria struggled to her feet.

"He stayed here because I was scared!" Victoria yelled.

Korey raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you were scared? Did he comfort you with his dick?" Korey shoved Victoria back into the counter. She winced as the counter's edge slammed into her lower back.

"Korey, I swear, I'm telling the truth!" Victoria whimpered.

Korey rolled his eyes. "You know, I actually bought your horseshit story about wanting to be 'pure'. Instead you were out pleasing every other dick that wasn't mine!" He grabbed her by the arms, his fingernails digging into Victoria's skin. She pushed away from him, but Korey was much stronger and bigger than her. She might as well have been wrestling with a brick wall.

"Korey, please," she sobbed. "I told you the truth."

Korey shoved Victoria away from him. She crashed onto the floor. Pain shot up through her hip when she landed. She scooched away from Korey, who seemed to be considering her words. "Maybe you are telling the truth," he allowed. "But that doesn't mean you don't _want_ to fuck him."

"I don't!" Victoria cried honestly. She inched toward table, where she'd left her phone. If she could just get it and call the cops…

"You stupid fucking whore," Korey seethed. "You expect me to believe that you don't want to fuck that super special agent Dr. Reid?"

Victoria nodded. "I truly don't," she said. "I-I don't want to f-fuck him." _I want to love him._

Korey narrowed his eyes. Victoria managed to stand. "Maybe you don't want to fuck him," he said. "But he sure as hell wants to fuck you."

Victoria backed toward the table, her eyes never leaving Korey's. "He doesn't. He's not like that." Her fingers fumbled behind her, groping for her phone.

"Oh, right," sneered Korey. "Because Dr. Reid isn't like all men. I'll tell you something about men, sweetheart. We're all the same. Deep down, all we want is sex. Dr. Reid's just too much of a pussy to take it for himself, so he's been friendzoned by you!"

"Don't call him that!" Victoria hissed.

Korey laughed. "Why not? It's true! You think he's befriended you because he thinks you're interesting? Or that he likes your personality? Please! He was just too much of a chicken shit to claim that sweet pussy of yours all for himself."

Victoria widened her eyes, horrified. "He's not like that, Korey. Leave Spencer out of this!" She quickly unlocked her phone and dialed 911.

"No you don't!" Korey yelled. Victoria dashed away from him, but he was faster. He snatched her phone away and threw it at the wall. He turned to Victoria and smacked her across the face. She stumbled, clutching her stinging left cheek. Korey grabbed her by the hair and shoved her against the wall. "Dr. Reid will never get to be inside you… Because he can't have what's _mine_." Korey let go of Victoria's hair to unbuckle his belt.

Victoria widened her eyes. She kneed Korey in the groin and shoved him away from her. "Don't fucking touch me." she growled.

Korey glared at her. He drew a fist back and punched Victoria across the face. She fell to the floor with a strangled cry. "I get to touch you because you're mine! You belong to me, bitch!"

"Jason! Seth!" Victoria screamed. Korey smacked her again, cutting her cry off short. Korey tugged her pants down and unzipped his pants. Victoria felt tears streaming from her eyes. She kicked and writhed and screamed. Spencer's face floated into her mind's eye. She prayed he sensed something was wrong… She prayed somebody would help her.

…

"Wheels up in thirty." Hotch announced.

"Where's Parker?" demanded Morgan.

Hotch checked his watch. "She's over an hour late. If she's not here in time for the flight, we'll have to leave her behind."

Spencer frowned. Victoria was never late to work. He took out his phone as he headed off to gather his go bag. He dialed Victoria's number. It went straight to voicemail. "Anything?" Morgan asked.

"No," said Spencer, frowning. "Maybe she got sick."

"Yeah." said Morgan. They ventured to the hangar where the jet was humming, awaiting the team for takeoff.

"This isn't like Parker." said Blake.

Hotch sighed as he took his seat. "We can't wait for her. And this is irresponsible of her to just not show up."

Spencer squirmed in his seat. He met JJ's gaze. Her expression of concern was mingled with acceptance. Spencer puckered his brow. This definitely wasn't like Victoria. She would've called in sick. The jet vibrated as it picked up speed along the runway until it soared into the sky, heading for Arizona.

…

Victoria sat in a policeman's office. She had a blanket pulled taut around her shoulders and she trembled as the man scribbled down her story. "And after you shoved him away, what happened?" he asked.

Victoria drew a shaky breath. "I told him not to touch me. A-and he told m-me that he gets to t-touch me because I-I'm h-his… And then he started…" Victoria dissolved into sobs with her face in her hands.

"Miss Parker, were you raped?" asked the policeman.

Victoria shook her head. "H-he touched me, but he never actually…" She whimpered and hid her face again.

The policeman stared at her sympathetically. "All right. You're gonna go to the hospital, and we're gonna find this Korey Langston."

Victoria nodded. "T-thank you."

"Is there anyone we need to call for you?" the policeman asked.

Victoria shook her head. "N-no."

…

"What do we do about Hotch?" Spencer asked as he walked with JJ. Everyone knew that Hotch had been offered Strauss's old job. But Spencer also knew that Hotch would not be able to handle a desk job.

"Uh, nothing." said JJ.

"What do you mean? I don't want him to go. He'll suffocate." said Spencer.

"Look you, don't get it." said JJ, shaking her head.

"Why, because I don't have kids?" Spencer shot back. His face crumpled. "I would've."

"Spence… You still will." said JJ. An officer approached Spencer and handed him the ME's report. Spencer read over it, his eyes narrowing. "Maybe you will with Victoria." JJ said. Spencer chose to ignore that comment. JJ sighed. "Maybe Hotch misses that." said JJ with a sigh. Spencer looked to see a mother tickling her child.

Spencer widened his eyes, a thought about the unsub occurring to him. "That's it!"

…

Victoria sat Jason and Seth down. "I'm going to call the school and see if the two of you can sleep at the dorm for a while." she said.

"What? No!" cried Seth.

"V…" Jason protested.

Victoria held up a hand to silence them. "Just until this Korey business is sorted out, okay? You can come home every weekend, but it's the safest place for you to be right now. Understand?"

"I do, but…" Jason trailed off.

"It's stupid," snapped Seth. "Where are you going to go?"

"I'll get a hotel room or something. I'll figure it out. You two are my top priority, okay?" Victoria said. Her brothers nodded. She opened up her arms for a hug.

…

Spencer checked his phone for the umpteenth time as he boarded the jet to return to Quantico. Still no calls or texts from Victoria. Weird. "Why the long faces? You guys got the unsub." said Blake.

Spencer looked up from his book. Morgan and JJ both looked disturbed. "He was supposed to be on a mental breakdown. But when we arrested him, he was dead calm." said Morgan.

"Well, everyone has their own way of coping with getting caught." said Blake.

Spencer nodded in agreement. "You guys did well." He opened up his book to resume reading. Hotch's phone rang. Spencer could just barely hear Hotch's voice.

"Excuse me?" Hotch said. "How is that possible? Okay. Thank you for letting me know." Spencer looked up from his book and leaned over to look at Hotch. "Prints didn't match our guy and the ones at the restaurant." Hotch said.

"What?" Morgan and JJ demanded.

"How is that possible?" Spencer added, frowning.

"I don't know. But we got the wrong guy," said Hotch. "We'll return to Quantico to refuel the jet and then we're going back to Arizona."

Spencer exchanged a glance with the others. How the hell was this possible?

…

Victoria waited for Hotch nervously in his office. She'd called him from a payphone to let him know she was at Quantico. He'd told her what was happening, but he did not sound happy. Hotch entered the office. "This is unacceptable, Parker. You didn't show up for work, nor did you give any reason as to why you weren't here." Hotch scolded.

Victoria nodded, keeping her head down. "Yes sir."

"What were you thinking?" Hotch demanded.

Victoria lifted her head slightly. "I wasn't thinking. It won't happen again."

"Parker, look at me," said Hotch. Victoria hesitated. She slowly raised her head so that her injuries were in full view. Hotch's eyes widened. "What happened to you?" His tone had softened.

"I…" Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "Korey."

"Parker, why didn't you say anything?" Hotch said, his brow furrowed.

"I… I couldn't. I've been at the police station and hospital and Korey smashed my phone, so any phone calls I've had to make have been via phone booth… I'm sorry, sir. I should've told you somehow." Victoria blubbered.

"Yes, you should've," said Hotch. He didn't sound angry, though. Victoria stared at him. "We have to return to Arizona, like I said over the phone. If you need some time off, you're welcome to take it."

"No. I… I can't go home and do nothing. I-I'd feel safer away on a case." Victoria murmured.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Hotch replied, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Just… Don't tell the others. At least not yet." said Victoria.

Hotch pursed his lips. "Okay."

…

"What's taking Parker and Hotch so long?" asked Blake.

"He wasn't happy that she didn't show up." said Morgan.

"Probably scolding her," said Rossi.

"You don't think he'd suspend her?" Spencer demanded.

"Not if she had a good enough reason." said Rossi.

"Sh, they're coming back!" hissed JJ.

Everyone shut their mouths. Victoria entered the plane first. Spencer felt his stomach churn. Victoria's lip was busted. Around her right eye and cheekbone were bruises. Her other cheek was bruised, too. Angry red marks and scratches littered her arms. "What happened?" Morgan demanded.

Victoria shrugged. "I… I was in a little car wreck. Nothing too serious."

She sank into a chair. Spencer stared at her. He'd sensed a lie in Victoria's tone. Hotch didn't correct her, though. Spencer tried to meet Victoria's gaze, but she was pointedly refusing his eyes.

…

While the team worked to find the unsub's identical twin, Victoria worked on her report. She made sure to sing the team's praises in the evaluation. Despite all the hell they were receiving from the media for arresting the wrong man, the team wasn't acting rashly or angrily. They were calm and focused. Victoria brushed off any voices of concern from her teammates. She got so self-conscious that she rushed to the bathroom and tried her best to cover the marks on her face with makeup. She pulled on a sweater to hide the scratches on her arms. However, Victoria knew she couldn't keep it secret from the team forever. Once the case had been closed, Victoria braced herself for an uncomfortable chat aboard the jet. She sat down and opened up a book, but she wasn't really reading. To her relief, no one bothered her for the first hour of the flight home.

"Parker," said Morgan finally. "We know you're not really reading that thing. When are you gonna tell us what really happened to you?"

Victoria lifted her eyes from the pages of her book. She closed it and set it down. She shifted in her seat so that she could face the aisle of the jet and therefore the team. Everyone stared at her expectantly. Even Hotch was watching her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. Victoria focused on her hands. "I… I broke up with Korey." she croaked.

"He did that to you?" JJ demanded. Victoria closed her eyes and nodded.

"He broke into my house and attacked me the morning we first got the case. I told him to leave, but he refused… I gave him back the ring and…" Victoria inhaled unevenly. "H-he did this… And then h-he… Jason called the cops and saved me." Victoria buried her face in her hands. She didn't want to tell the team she'd almost been raped. She was embarrassed enough.

"Parker, was he arrested?" demanded Hotch.

Victoria shook her head. She heard the team groan. "He left before the cops got there," she muttered. "I couldn't call because Korey threw my phone and… Well…" She pulled her shattered phone out of her purse. She stuffed it back inside her bag, still staring at the floor. She forced herself to look up, but she still couldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"I'm gonna kick his ass." snarled Morgan.

Victoria shook her head. "Don't get involved," she pleaded. "Let the local authorities handle it. I'm gonna stay in a hotel for a little while and my brothers are going to stay in the dorm of their school. I'll be okay."

JJ sat next to Victoria and pulled the latter into a hug. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, okay?"

Victoria nodded, her cheeks flaming. She lowered her gaze to the floor and pulled out of the embrace. "Yeah. Okay."

…

Spencer glanced at Victoria every so often. She was going out of her way to avoid looking at him. Why? Was she ashamed of what happened to her? It wasn't her fault. Spencer's hands shook as he turned the page in his book. The thought of Korey hurting Victoria… Spencer clenched his teeth. He glanced up at Victoria. She had put on her purple Skullcandy headphones. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back. She was asleep. Spencer narrowed his eyes at the bruises around her eyes, the cut on her swollen lip. He could envision Korey drawing his fist back and punching Victoria. Spencer closed his eyes. Most domestic violence deaths occurred after the abused left the abuser. Spencer lifted his eyes toward Victoria again. Her life was at risk. Hotel rooms could easily be broken into. There was no doubt Korey would try and hurt her again. Spencer wouldn't take that chance. He thought for a moment. Victoria would need to stay away from her normal routine for about a month to allow Korey to cool down. She couldn't stay in a hotel for a whole month. Spencer licked his lips and furrowed his brow.

The jet landed. The team gathered their bags, said some sleepy goodbyes and headed for their cars. Spencer watched Victoria head for her silver Ford Escape. Spencer jogged after her. "Victoria," he called. Victoria turned, jumping a little. Her eyes were wide and wild. She relaxed when she recognized Spencer. His heart clenched for her. She was so terrified, and she was trying to hide it. "Stay with me." Spencer said.

"W-what?" Victoria stammered, frowning.

"Hotel rooms can be infiltrated. Stay with me at my apartment." said Spencer.

Victoria's frown deepened with uncertainty. "I don't know, Spence… I don't want you to get involved."

Spencer scowled. "Victoria, it's dangerous. You'd be safer staying with me. Let me help you."

Victoria looked toward the sky, holding back tears. "You don't understand."

"Then help me to." Spencer persisted.

"You're in danger, too!" Victoria hissed. Spencer furrowed his brow. Victoria sighed. "Korey thought I was cheating on him with you. He threatened to beat you up, remember? W-when we were fighting, h-he…" Victoria trailed off and put her face in her hands. Spencer's eyes rounded. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Victoria looked up at him. Her eyelashes were wet, and her makeup had run a bit. "He saw you stay the night."

Spencer swallowed. He licked his lips. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "Victoria, he's stalking you. If he saw me stay the night, then he'll see which hotel you stay in. Please. Stay with me."

Victoria wiped under her eyes. She stared at the ground for a moment. "How long?" she muttered at last.

Spencer inhaled deeply. "Typically women escaping abusive relationships need to hide out for about two months."

Victoria's head shot up. "Two months? Spence, I don't know… I don't want to intrude."

 _I lost Maeve because I couldn't protect her. I lost her because she didn't want me to help. That's not happening to Victoria._ Spencer didn't voice his thoughts, though. He wasn't quite ready to tell Victoria. Now wasn't the time. She was an emotional wreck. She didn't need him shoving a love confession down her throat. "Victoria, I promise, you're not intruding. You practically live with me anyway. We travel all the time and you hang out at my place every Friday…"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you don't know my weird living habits. What if I annoy the shit out of you because I can be messy and you're a neat freak?"

Spencer's lips twitched. "Then I'll tell you to clean up. I'm comfortable telling you the truth, Victoria. And what if my habits annoy you?"

Victoria crossed her arms. "Well, if I'm staying at your place, I don't have much leverage."

Spencer shook his head. "You can tell me anything. We'll figure it out, okay?"

Victoria stared at him for a long time. Spencer searched her face. Her brows were pinched and her forehead was tight. Her lips were scrunched to one side, as if she were chewing on her cheek. At last, she nodded. "Okay."

Spencer relaxed. "Let's go to your house and pack you a bag. I'll follow you there." He turned to head for his car.

"Spence," Victoria called. Spencer turned, eyebrows raised in askance. "Thank you."

Spencer nodded. "Of course." He turned back toward his car. He climbed inside and waited for Victoria to pull out first. He followed her to her house. They went inside together. "Where are your dogs?" he asked, noticing the absence of Lumos and Nox.

"A friend's taking care of them," Victoria whispered. Spencer glanced at her, realizing this might be a difficult place for her to be. He peered down the hallway, toward the kitchen. It was left in a wreck. "I'll go get my suitcase." Victoria muttered. Spencer got the feeling she wanted to be alone. He let her go. He ventured into the kitchen. A mug was shattered on the floor. Stiffened coffee littered the hardwood. Another mug lay by the wall, where it had left a small dent, along with coffee stains. The engagement ring lay by Spencer's foot. He looked at the kitchen table, which was turned over completely. Spots of dried blood speckled the floor. It looked as if Victoria had put up a fight. He smiled slightly. Good.

He left the kitchen and headed to Victoria's walk-in closet. She was sitting on the floor beside an open suitcase, her knees pulled up to her chest. Spencer pursed his lips and crouched beside her. "You okay?"

Victoria looked at him, her eyes wide. "He tried to rape me."

Spencer's lips parted and his eyes broadened. " _What_?"

Victoria smiled bitterly. "When he was holding me down, I realized… I realized that I've never been a woman to him. I've always been an object. It's all been a game to him. He said… He said that I was his and…" Victoria breathed heavily. Spencer moved closer to her and rubbed her back. "And…" She drew a quaking breath.

"Victoria…" Spencer murmured. What could he say? This wasn't a victim he was interviewing. This was his closest friend. This was the woman he loved! What could he say to make her feel better?

"You don't realize how much danger you're in, Spence," Victoria muttered. "He hates you. Like, really hates you. He's jealous of what you and I have. He always has been. But… I never realized how much it enraged him. H-he kept calling me a whore and telling me that I was just a liar… But somewhere along the way I convinced him you and I didn't sleep together. But he still didn't stop. I saw him hesitate. But then he _laughed_. He said that if we didn't act on it, then we at least wanted to. He started calling you horrible things and I think he really snapped when I defended you."

Spencer closed his eyes. "You didn't have to defend me, Victoria."

"I know," Victoria said. Tears dripped down her cheeks. "But I was so angry. He was still trying to control me and tear me down, and we'd broken up. He was still trying to destroy me. And that's w-when he tried to…" She coughed with a sob. Spencer rubbed her back. He opened his mouth to speak, but Victoria wasn't done. "He told me that he was going to claim me and that you'd never get to do what he was about to do and have me first."

Spencer stiffened. His eyes snapped open. Victoria seemed to realize what she'd just said, too. She tried to pull away from him, but Spencer pulled her closer. He wrapped his arms around her. Victoria broke down into sobs. Spencer rubbed her back and hair. He buried his face in her shoulder and squeezed his eyes shut. "It's okay." he murmured.

Victoria pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I told you all of that."

Spencer cupped her face with his hands. "Victoria, you can trust me. I'm glad you can talk to me about anything. I promise, I won't let him touch you again. You're going to be okay. Do you believe me?"

Victoria blubbered a bitter laugh. "N-no."

Spencer sighed. "I didn't think I was ever going to be okay after Tobias Hankel tortured me. But I got through it. You're going to make it. I'll be right here, the whole way. Okay?"

Victoria's eyes pooled with tears. "Thank you." she whispered.

Spencer nodded. "Of course." He dropped his hands. Victoria began packing her bag. Spencer helped her by grabbing her Ravenclaw hoodie and other Harry Potter clothes. Victoria packed some work outfits. She grabbed a makeup bag. Spencer followed her to the bathroom where he watched her open a draw. He widened his eyes. Ten different eyeshadow palettes were stacked on top of each other. An assortment of other things like foundation, powder, blush, some shimmery white stuff labeled _highlighter_ , bronzer… Twenty different tubes of lipstick and mascara… "Wow." he said.

Victoria smirked sheepishly. "I… kind of have an addiction."

"Definitely," said Spencer, his eyebrows raised. Victoria stared at her vast makeup collection. She packed foundation, powder, concealer, bronzer and highlighter, but she paused before packing eyeshadow.

"Um… I wear this one the most," she muttered to herself. She grabbed a palette labeled Naked3. She then grabbed a small palette called NakedBasics2. "And I need mattes." She snatched up three lipsticks and three different mascaras.

Spencer chuckled. "Is it really that difficult?"

Victoria scowled at him. "I'm an artist, these are my paints."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Is that everything?"

Victoria grabbed some makeup brushes, packed them and nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."

Spencer grabbed her bag. They left Victoria's room and headed for the front door. Victoria paused before the foyer, staring off toward the kitchen. Spencer stopped and looked, too. He could make out the shattered coffee mug and the front end of the overturned kitchen table. "C'mon." Spencer murmured. He tugged Victoria forward gently. She locked up her house. Spencer put her stuff into the trunk of his car. They decided to take just his car, since there was limited parking at his apartment complex. He drove to his apartment. Victoria seemed skittish, looking out the windows as if every car driving past them was Korey.

Spencer helped Victoria carry her stuff to his apartment. He paused in the doorway. "It's not very big." he warned.

"I've been in your apartment, Spence." Victoria reminded him. Spencer nodded and opened the door.

"I'll take the couch." he offered.

"No," Victoria argued. Spencer looked at her. "I'm already taking over your apartment… I don't need to steal your bed, too."

Spencer huffed. "You need a good night's sleep more than I do."

"I'll be fine." said Victoria.

Spencer scowled thoughtfully. "How about we switch every night? I'll take the couch tonight, and you can have it tomorrow night. Fair?"

Victoria looked as if she wanted to protest, but Spencer gave her a look that shut her up. She nodded. She looked at her hands. "Thank you, Spencer."

"You're welcome." Spencer replied. Victoria stepped forward and threw her arms around him. Spencer blinked in surprise. Then he wrapped his arms around Victoria. Her hair tickled his nose, but he didn't care. He would hold her forever if it would heal her wounds. But he knew it would take much more than that. Spencer was willing to do what Victoria had done for him. He would be there for her, holding her hand the whole way through this process. He would pick up the broken pieces of her spirit and help her put herself back together. And Korey wasn't going to touch her.

 **…**

 **I might change the rating to M because of the content… Lots of cussing and violence.**

 **Guest: Haha I'm glad the last chapter had you on the edge of your seat! I hope this one did, too… Thank you so much for the review!**

 **cassari: A weight has been lifted off mine, trust me! Thanks for the review!**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Final Shot_**

Victoria felt someone shaking her gently. She scowled and opened her eyes. Spencer was leaning over her. "We've got a case." Spencer murmured.

Victoria sighed. "It's like… three in the morning."

Spencer chuckled. "Five," he corrected. "Uh, I need to get dressed, Victoria."

Victoria widened her eyes. She'd forgotten she was in Spencer's bed. "Right." She sat up and got out of bed. She shuffled past Spencer awkwardly and left his room. She entered the bathroom down the hall. She brushed her teeth, clearing it of rancid morning breath, tugged a brush through her lion's mane and started the process of putting on makeup. When she was done, she cleaned up and entered the living room, where her bag was located. She dug around in it until she found an outfit that she wanted to wear. She turned to head for the bathroom, only to find it occupied by Spencer. She pursed her lips and headed for his bedroom. She closed the door and changed quickly. This living-together thing was already a bit clumsy and awkward. She hoped it didn't mess up things between them. She trudged over to the bed. She pulled the covers up and arranged the pillows so that it looked neater. With a satisfied dip of her head, she left Spencer's room.

"Coffee?" Spencer asked.

"No thanks, I already brushed my teeth." Victoria replied. She sat down at the table.

"You're not eating anything?" Spencer said, frowning.

Victoria shrugged. "I might have some coffee at work later. Or tea. I'll be fine, Spence."

Spencer nodded. "Okay," he muttered.

Victoria rested her chin on her palm. Spencer smirked at her. "What?" Victoria demanded.

"Your hair in the mornings," he commented idly, trying to hide a smile.

Victoria scowled at him. "What about it?"

"It's… wild." Spencer chuckled.

Victoria smiled. "I know…"

"We should get going." Spencer said, checking his watch. Victoria nodded and grabbed her purse. Spencer had a go bag in hand. He eyed Victoria's purse in askance.

"I'm staying at the BAU this case." said Victoria as they headed out the door.

Spencer locked his apartment. "Should I give you my keys so that you can come back here if you need to?"

"No," said Victoria. "I'll just stay with Garcia overnight. Or we'll sleep at the BAU."

Spencer nodded. The two of them trekked to his car. Victoria pursed her lips as she slid into the front seat. "This isn't weird for you, is it?" she asked.

Spencer looked at her. "Not at all. Why?"

Victoria shrugged. "I'm just… Making sure."

Spencer shook his head. "It's not weird. It's actually kind of nice having you around."

Victoria managed a small smile. "Thank you for doing all of this."

Spencer shrugged as he drove toward the BAU. "You don't need to thank me. I know you'd do the same for me."

Victoria nodded. "In a heartbeat." she confirmed.

…

Spencer and JJ headed for the third victim's workplace. The sniper shootings had all been to cover up the murder of one social worker, Alice Emmerson. What did a social worker have to do with anything?

"You okay, Spence?" asked JJ.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," said Spencer.

"About Victoria?" JJ guessed.

Spencer glanced at her. "Yeah."

"I can't believe Korey…" JJ muttered. "I mean, we all knew he was a jerk, but…"

Spencer pressed his lips together. "I asked Victoria to live with me," he admitted. JJ looked at him with wide eyes. "Not like _that_ ," Spencer clarified with a roll of his eyes. "I just know that it would be harder for Korey to get to her if she were living with me."

"Spence, be careful," said JJ. "Korey's singled you out before. He won't like this."

"I don't care," said Spencer. "I'm not letting him get near Victoria. I failed to protect Maeve. I won't fail with Victoria."

"Spence…" said JJ as she pulled up to the women's shelter.

"I love her, JJ." Spencer muttered.

JJ didn't look surprised. "I know," she said.

Spencer tilted his head. "How did you know? You've known for a while now."

JJ smirked. "Well, first off, the two of you are always together. You became really good friends. I don't know, I just… I've seen it. The way the two of you care for each other and laugh together… To be honest, when we all found out you had a girlfriend, I was surprised when it was Maeve and not Victoria."

Spencer pressed his lips together and looked at his hands. "I don't want to lose her, JJ."

"You won't," said JJ. "C'mon."

…

Victoria sat in the corner of Garcia's office, setting up her new phone. It had the same number as her old one, but she still had to input everyone's numbers and whatnot. As she did so, she got a call from an unknown number. She didn't answer it. The person left a voicemail.

Victoria stepped into the hall and listened to the voicemail. "Vicky, it's me," said Korey's voice. Victoria sucked in a sharp breath. "Look, I didn't mean any of it. I was drunk that night at the bar, that's all. And last week… Baby, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me. I love you. I love you so much. I can't stop thinking about you. Please, call me."

Victoria slipped back into the office. She wiped away tears and sat down to resume setting up her new phone.

…

"Alice seemed anxious this morning. I asked her about it and she told me her mother was having a medical procedure done." said Alice's boss.

"So being stressed was out of the ordinary for her?" Spencer questioned.

Alice's boss sighed. "Well, I won't lie, working here does take an emotional toll." she admitted.

"Escaping an abusive relationship can be incredibly difficult. I can imagine your job is frustrating." said JJ. Spencer exchanged a glance with her. Getting Victoria to leave Korey had been difficult, to say the least.

"The victims are a mess. Physically, emotionally… And they often go back to their abusers," said Alice's boss, sitting in a chair. Spencer's mind flew to Victoria as he sank onto the couch. Would she go back to Korey? "The fact is, most employees burn out. No one works here for more than a few years."

"Sounds like Alice was the exception," said Spencer. "What exactly did her job entail?"

"She was the point of first contact. If a woman was committed to leaving her abuser, Alice would funnel them to a community angel." replied Alice's boss.

"I take it that's someone who provides a temporary home?" JJ guessed.

"That and more. They may help create a new identity for the client." said Alice's boss.

"I'm assuming the secrecy is to protect them from their abusers?" Spencer prompted.

"The men that they're escaping can be incredibly violent and vindictive. A whole network has been created to protect these women." said Alice's boss.

"Sort of like an Underground Railroad." Spencer murmured.

"Exactly. I just work at the starting point. I don't even know all the players in the network." said Alice's boss.

"The police have been through her email and cell phone and it seems they've been completely wiped clean. Would that have anything to do with this job?" JJ asked.

Alice's boss looked grim. "Six years ago, an angry ex-boyfriend broke into our computers and found the location of his girlfriend and killed her and the community angel she was staying with before committing suicide." Another worker entered the room and motioned for Alice's boss. "Excuse me." she said. Alice's boss left the room.

Spencer felt dread swirling around in his stomach. What if Korey found Victoria and killed her? "I bet that type of secrecy is a nightmare for everyone involved but I get why they have to do it." he muttered. What if Victoria had to go into hiding forever? What if he never saw her again? "You okay? You look a little worried." Spencer said, turning to JJ.

"I'm not worried." JJ said.

"If you were, you'd tell me, right?" Spencer countered.

"I'm only worried about solving this case." said JJ.

"It's a shame all those texts and emails are gone forever." Spencer muttered.

JJ made a face. "I'm sorry, have you ever met Penelope Garcia?"

…

Victoria stepped out of the room as Garcia conversed with Spencer and JJ via phone. Victoria listened to her voicemail.

"You think I don't know that you're staying at that beanpole's house? I bet the two of you had fun fucking each other's brains out last night. You fuckin' liar. I hate you. If I see that dumbass Dr. Reid, I'll kick his ass. I will fucking kill him, understand? I will shoot the motherfucker right between his eyes in front of you. Don't even try to sell me that horseshit that you're not sleeping with him. What does he have that I don't? Does his dick fucking dance? Dr. Reid better watch his back, sweetheart. That's what he gets for taking what's rightfully mine." Korey's message ended. Victoria breathed deeply, willing the anxiety rolling down her back to pass. She covered her mouth to stifle a sob. She couldn't stay at Spencer's anymore. Korey would kill him! Victoria couldn't let that happen. If Spencer died… She shook her head. She didn't even want to think about it.

…

"I'm worried about you and Victoria." JJ admitted in the car.

Spencer looked at her. "I'm worried about her, too. But why me?"

"You heard Alice's boss. That one ex killed the girlfriend and the community angel she was living with. You're Victoria's community angel, Spence. Both of you are in danger." said JJ.

"I know," Spencer muttered. "I'm not letting her leave, JJ."

"I didn't say you should kick her out. I… I just don't want either of you to get hurt." said JJ.

"I can't lose her like I lost Maeve," Spencer croaked.

"Spence, you won't. Just be extra mindful, okay?" JJ said.

"Okay," Spencer replied. "You don't think she'd go back to Korey, do you?"

"It's our job to make sure she doesn't." JJ answered.

"Don't tell anyone about Victoria and me, okay?" Spencer requested.

JJ chuckled. "Spence, you work with a bunch of profilers. I think they've guessed."

"I know," said Spencer. "I'm just not ready to tell Victoria. She's not a profiler."

"She is a counselor, though," JJ argued.

"But she's preoccupied." Spencer muttered.

"Spence… You do have to tell her." JJ said.

Spencer sighed. "I know. I plan on doing it after this Korey mess is over."

"And what if Korey just disappears? What if you never tell her?" JJ retorted.

"I will." Spencer insisted. "Just… Not yet, okay?"

"Okay." JJ agreed.

…

Victoria and Spencer didn't talk the whole way home. She could tell that something about the case had bothered him. But she was lost in an ocean of her own thoughts. She couldn't stay with Spencer, not after that message Korey'd left her. She couldn't put Spencer in danger like that.

They entered Spencer's apartment. Victoria turned to face him. "Spence…"

Spencer bit his lip. "Yeah?"

"I think I should go back home." Victoria murmured.

Spencer's eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

Victoria sighed. "Korey left me some messages on my phone. I-I'm putting you in danger by staying here. I can't do that to you. If you got hurt, I would never forgive myself."

Spencer's frown deepened. "And I would never forgive myself if I let you go home. May I listen to the messages?"

Victoria wanted to protest, but she figured she owed Spencer the truth. She handed over her phone. She gauged Spencer's reaction to the first message. Spencer scowled at it. He pressed a button on Victoria's phone to listen to the next message. Victoria watched Spencer scowl, raise his eyebrows, gape and scowl again. He handed Victoria's phone back to her. "See? I told you. You're in danger just by being near me." Victoria said.

"Leaving would put me in more danger," Spencer pointed out.

Victoria laughed. "Right, because I'm so tough. I'll protect you." she scoffed.

Spencer shook his head, but his lips twitched. "We're safer together, okay? Just stay here for the two months. If Korey is still threatening you, we'll come up with a different plan. For now, we're safest together."

Victoria sighed. "Okay." she agreed.

Spencer looked at the floor, working his lips. "Don't go back to Korey." he muttered.

"Okay?" Victoria said, frowning.

"Many women who escape abusive relationships often go back to their abusers," Spencer continued. "You can't. Not after all he's done to you. I can't watch him tear you apart again."

"I won't," Victoria replied. "I don't want to go back to him."

Spencer nodded. "Good."

"Spence…" Victoria trailed off. "I'm sorry. For everything. For not listening to you, for what Korey has said about you and what he's threatened to do to you… It isn't fair. I'm so sorry."

Spencer moved closer to her. "It's not your fault. He's doing this, not you. I'm sorry he hurt you. I'm sorry for ignoring you and pushing you away when Maeve died."

Victoria shook her head. "You were grieving, Spence. And slapping some sense into me."

Spencer sighed. "Truce?"

Victoria smiled. "Yeah, okay."

Spencer pulled her into a hug. "Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure, but I'm not in the mood for something where I have to think a lot." Victoria said.

Spencer's lips twitched. "You can pick."

Victoria tilted her head. "Let's check Netflix."

Spencer grinned. "I'll order pizza."

"You're the best, Spence." Victoria replied, pulling up Netflix. She watched him pace the room while he ordered from a local pizza joint. She smiled when she caught his eye. He returned the smile. Victoria forced herself to look away. She didn't want to get caught staring at him again. Victoria pulled up one of her favorites, "This Is 40." She smiled to herself. There was no way she'd go back to Korey if there was even the slightest chance she'd get to stay with Spencer.

 **…**

 **I did up the rating to M, just FYI. Sorry for the shorter chapter, guys! Next one will be a bit longer.**

 **Guest: I hope someone beats the crap out of Korey, too! Thank you for the review!**

 **Please review, guys! Thank you!**


	14. Chapter 14

**_Route 66_**

"We have to assume that Samantha Wilcox…" Hotch trailed off. He coughed slightly. "Excuse me… She's still…" Hotch swayed on the spot. Victoria widened her eyes as Hotch collapsed.

"Aaron!" cried Rossi.

"Hotch!" bellowed Morgan. The team jumped to their feet. Victoria called an ambulance.

"Ambulance is on its way," she announced, kneeling beside Hotch.

"What do we do?" asked JJ.

"Get on the jet, start working the case." said Rossi. "I'll stay with him."

"So will I," Victoria announced.

Morgan nodded. "Keep us updated."

Victoria and Rossi dipped their heads. Victoria stood, keeping an eye out for the paramedics. Spencer hugged her briefly before whisking away. Victoria watched him go, biting her lip. Her two months with him was more than halfway over. She hadn't felt this safe in a long time, and she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to her house alone. Then again, she didn't want to overstay her welcome.

…

Spencer and the rest of the team brainstormed back and forth for a bit, but none of their hearts were in it. They just wanted to know if Hotch was okay. Finally, Rossi video chatted them. He wanted to know about the case, so Morgan filled him in.

"All right. Hotch would want us to focus on this case, not him. I'm hopping on the first flight there." said Rossi.

"What about Hotch?" said JJ.

"I'll stay with him and keep you guys updated. Garcia's on her way." said Victoria, coming into view of the camera.

"Thanks, Parker." said Morgan. Victoria dipped her head. The video ended and Spencer's attention returned to the case at hand.

…

Victoria paced the lobby of the hospital. She was worried about Hotch. Everyone was, but… Hotch had sort of become like a father to her, or big brother. Several hours had already passed, and still no word. Her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

"Spence," Victoria breathed.

"Hey," said Spencer. "How's Hotch?"

"I don't know," said Victoria. "He's still in surgery. Spence… I'm worried about him."

"We all are," said Spencer gently.

Victoria sighed and rubbed her forehead. "It's just… He's the toughest guy I know."

"Tougher than Morgan?" Spencer joked.

"Definitely," said Victoria. "I'd be more scared of Hotch than Morgan."

"Me too," Spencer agreed.

"Penelope and I used to joke that… serial killers check their closets for Aaron Hotchner before they go to bed." Victoria gave a watery laugh.

Spencer chuckled on the other side of the line. "H-he'll be okay."

"Yeah," Victoria murmured. She wasn't sure if she believed it. It didn't feel real yet. "How's the case going?"

"Not good, another man just turned up dead." said Spencer.

"Shit." Victoria muttered.

"I have to go." said Spencer.

"Okay. Go get 'em, tiger." said Victoria.

Spencer chuckled. "Bye."

He hung up. Victoria sighed. She looked at Penelope, who was sitting in the lobby, helping the team via laptop as best she could. Victoria went through her call history. She hadn't had any harassing calls from Korey in a while. Maybe he had finally given up.

…

Spencer and Rossi put Garcia on speaker phone. She informed them of yet another murder. "Any word on Hotch?" asked Rossi.

"Not yet, but Parker is about to go rouse the nurses for intel." said Penelope.

"Go get 'em, girl." said Rossi. Spencer smirked with a hint of pride. But then he remembered why Victoria was having to harass the nurses in the first place, and his smile vanished. His two months with Victoria were almost over, too. He knew that Korey had stopped calling and texting. He knew Victoria probably missed her home. But Spencer wasn't sure he was ready for her to go just yet.

…

Victoria and Penelope stood in Hotch's room. He had been sleeping for the past hour. Victoria breathed a sigh of relief when Hotch's eyes fluttered open. He looked a bit confused.

"What happened?" he croaked.

"Sir," sighed Penelope. She rambled a long-winded explanation about scarred tissue from Hotch's stabbing a few years earlier. She threw her arms around Hotch's neck.

"Garcia," Hotch chided with a wince of pain.

"Sorry sir!" Penelope squeaked. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you both for staying with me." Hotch croaked.

"Wild horses, sir," said Penelope. "I'll go call Jessica to bring Jack here."

Hotch nodded as Penelope shuffled out. Victoria exchanged a weak smile with Hotch. "How're you doing?" Hotch asked.

"You just got out of surgery and you're asking about me?" Victoria said, shaking her head. Hotch raised his eyebrows at her, urging her to continue. Victoria sighed. "I'm all right. I was just worried about you."

Hotch smiled. "Thank you. How are you with your Korey situation?"

Victoria sank into a chair. "I'm all right. The calls and texts have stopped. I think I'm gonna go back home in a few days."

Hotch frowned. "Are you sure?"

Victoria nodded. "I'm not going to hide from him forever. The police think he left the state. I'll be okay."

Hotch nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Yes sir," said Victoria. "Thank you, for everything." She stepped out when Penelope brought the phone to Hotch so that he could speak with Jack. Victoria FaceTimed the team, who were on their way back from the case.

"Parker!" cried Morgan.

"Hotch is awake. He's doing great. Jessica's bringing Jack to him now." said Victoria.

The team visibly relaxed. Victoria smiled and ended the call after a little small talk with the team.

…

Spencer stepped out of Hotch's hospital room. Victoria was leaning against the wall of the hallway, looking at her shoes. Spencer pressed his lips together and approached her. "Hey." he said.

"Hey," Victoria replied.

"Everything okay?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah," said Victoria. "I… I think I should go home this weekend."

Spencer nodded. "Okay." he said, disappointment settling in his stomach.

Victoria pursed her lips. She seemed disappointed, too. "Okay."

Spencer turned away. "You ready?"

They left the hospital together and returned to Spencer's apartment. They didn't spend their evening together. Victoria sat on her laptop, hammering away at the keyboard with a story. Spencer read a few books, but he kept glancing over at Victoria. He didn't like the awkward silence between them. When they had quiet moments like this, it was usually comfortable. But tonight it was just… unpleasant. And yet, Spencer didn't try to fix it.

The next day, Spencer watched Victoria pack her things. He wanted to stop her, but there was no reason to. Korey's harassment had stopped. The two months were over, just about. Victoria didn't want to hide from Korey anymore. Police thought Korey had left the state. There was no reason for Victoria to stay. But Spencer wanted her to.

…

Victoria was silent the whole drive home. Spencer did nothing to break the silence. She had hoped that Spencer would fight for her. But why would he? He didn't love her. They were just friends. Maybe he was ready for her to leave his apartment. Victoria bit her lip. She blinked back tears and looked out the window, watching the moon flicker between the trees.

Spencer pulled up to her house. "See you at work tomorrow." he muttered.

"Yeah," Victoria choked. She pushed open the door. Spencer popped open his trunk. Victoria retrieved her bag, slammed the trunk shut and marched to her house without a second look back. She closed and locked the front door. She blinked back tears and entered the kitchen. The cops had been nice enough to at least clean the spilled coffee, but the rest of the mess was still there. Victoria sighed and got to work. She repositioned the table back on its legs. She cleaned the broken glass and the stains the police had missed. She mopped up the floors for good measure. She placed the engagement ring on the counter.

She looked at her handiwork for a moment. She decided to make some green tea. She heated up some water and began seeping the tea. After a few minutes, she added honey. She sipped the tea for a while at her kitchen table. Now that Korey was gone, she could… She should tell Spencer. He deserved to know how she felt, right?

But what if he rejected her? She wasn't sure she could survive another letdown. Korey had been bad enough, but she felt like Spencer's rejection would be ten times worse. He was her best friend. If she lost him… She wasn't sure she would be okay. But there had been moments where she was positive he felt the same way. Like when they laughed so hard they cried during "This Is 40." Or when she nudged him playfully and he offered her a sarcastic smile in reply. Or when they'd danced at JJ's wedding. Or at the bar. Or when she'd held his hand under the table after Strauss's funeral. Or when they'd looked at each other for comfort. Or when he'd asked her to stay with him. Or the time he'd begged her not to go back to Korey… But every time he mentioned Maeve (which wasn't often), it was like a stab to the chest for Victoria. Did Spencer still love Maeve? How could he not? They'd been perfect together. And she'd been ripped away from him… Victoria was just his friend. Nothing more. She didn't want to overanalyze anything. But there were times when she was sure Spencer loved her, too.

Victoria stared into her empty mug for a few minutes. She moved to the sink and turned the water on. She thought she heard the click of a door being closed, but wasn't sure over the sound of the water running. She cleaned out the mug, turned off the faucet and headed out of the kitchen. She flipped the light switch and plunged her house into darkness. She shuffled through the shadows as her eyes adjusted. She bumped into something in the middle of the walkway that smelled like leather and denim. It was warm beneath her hands.

"Hello, Victoria," said Korey.

Victoria widened her eyes in horror. Korey shoved her back. Victoria stumbled and fell into her glass coffee table, which shattered. She could hear Korey moving toward her. She crawled away, her right side stinging with pain. Korey grabbed her feet and dragged her toward him. Victoria grabbed at something –anything –and slashed outward. The shard of glass she was gripping sliced Korey. She wasn't sure what she cut, but it was enough for Korey to draw back with a growl. Victoria scrambled to her feet and stumbled away. She looped back to the kitchen, hoping to get a weapon or something. Her gun would be nice, but it was locked in the safe. She could hear Korey's heavy feet thudding after her, so she sprinted out of the kitchen and toward the foyer of her house. If she could get to the front door and out of the house, she could hide in the forest or something… She just needed away from Korey.

Korey's arms grabbed Victoria from behind. His hand covered her mouth as she screamed. She kicked out and squirmed, but Korey was too strong. Victoria's teeth met Korey's hand. She bit down until she drew blood. "Ah, bitch!" hissed Korey, throwing Victoria down. He kicked her in the ribs. Victoria gasped for breath and crawled away. She grabbed at a shelf to help her stand. She felt around for something to use as a weapon. Her hands closed around a small figurine of a sparrow. She swung out with it. It connected with Korey's face. He stumbled back, but Victoria had only succeeded in pissing him off. He grabbed Victoria and veered her around until her back was up against the wall. He covered her mouth with his hands as she blinked back tears. Korey reached into his pocket and withdrew a napkin doused in chloroform.

Victoria moaned as the napkin covered her mouth and nose. She felt her head spin and her vision faded. She slumped against Korey's grip, and her vision ebbed away. Korey's voice sounded distant, but Victoria could still hear him say: "Let's see if Dr. Reid is smart enough to figure it out."

 **…**

 **Sorry for the late update! Happy (late) Thanksgiving to my American reviewers! Thanks for all the support you guys!**

 **Guest: Thanks for the review!**

 **Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Gone_**

Spencer sifted through his case files, glancing up every now and then to check Victoria's empty desk. She was late. Spencer pursed his lips. Victoria was only a few minutes late. He didn't have a reason to worry yet. And they weren't going out of town that day. So… Victoria wasn't really missing anything. Spencer continued working. He lost track of time and when he checked Victoria's still empty desk, it had been an hour. Spencer bit his lip. Something was definitely wrong. He got up, pretending to get coffee. He dialed Victoria's number.

On the first ring, someone answered. But it wasn't Victoria. "Ah, Dr. Reid. I was wondering when you'd call." Korey's voice sent chills down Spencer's spine.

"Korey." Spencer replied, straining to keep his voice calm.

"Took you long enough to figure out something was wrong… I mean, c'mon. You didn't even walk her to the door last night. You didn't check the house or anything. If you had, you would've seen my truck parked in her garage. But nope. You just drove away. I thought you cared about her more than that?" said Korey.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is she okay?"

"For now," said Korey. "Actually, I have some instructions for you. Do you want to see her again?"

"Yes," Spencer whispered.

"Then do as I say," said Korey. "Go to her house and get her laptop. Her password is VEP04071984. At noon, I will send a video to the laptop. You and your team will watch and receive a special message from Victoria and me. Understand?"

"I understand," Spencer croaked.

"Good. Hurry, doctor. Your time is running out." Korey hung up.

Spencer was frozen. He blinked several times before running back into the bullpen. "Conference room, now!" he ordered. JJ, Morgan and Blake looked at each other in confusion. But Spencer rushed to Hotch's office. "We need to meet in the conference room, all of us." Spencer panted.

Hotch frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Victoria," Spencer replied grimly.

Hotch widened his eyes. "Get Garcia, I'll grab Dave."

Spencer hurried down the hall and burst into Garcia's office. "We need to meet in the conference room, now." Spencer said.

Garcia blinked. "O-okay," she said, her eyes flashing with bewilderment. She got up and followed Spencer into the conference room.

"What happened?" Hotch demanded as soon as Spencer entered the room. Spencer didn't bother taking his seat.

"I noticed Victoria was late for work so I called her," Spencer said. "And Korey answered."

"Damn," Morgan sighed, shaking his head.

"He has her," Spencer croaked. "He gave me instructions, but I don't have a lot of time to follow them."

"We can't give into this son of a bitch," said Morgan.

"Reid, following his instructions would only feed his ego." said Hotch.

"He wants me to get Victoria's laptop so that he can send us a video. He wants all of us to see it," said Spencer. "We don't have a lot of time. It take thirty minutes to get to her house. Please, we don't have another choice. We have to find her."

Hotch stared at Spencer with a furrowed brow. "Morgan and JJ, go with Reid. Garcia, I want you to find the last cell tower Parker's phone pinged off of."

"Yes sir," said Penelope, jumping to her feet. Spencer, Morgan and JJ hurried out of the bullpen and into the parking lot.

Spencer didn't talk to his coworkers the whole drive. Why hadn't he walked Victoria to her door? Or checked the house? He hadn't been angry with her. He had let his disappointment get in the way. If Victoria got hurt because of him…

Spencer jumped out of the car, refusing to finish the thought in his head. Morgan and JJ followed Spencer to the front door. "No sign of forced entry. Did she let him in?" Morgan asked, examining the lock.

"No," Spencer muttered. "She wouldn't do that." He opened the door. It was unlocked.

"He could've had a key made or picked the lock." JJ theorized. Spencer stared at the scene before him, his lips parted in shock.

"Damn." Morgan whispered. The glass coffee table was shattered. A bronze statuette of a sparrow was on the floor, blood crusted on its beak. Spots of blood littered the floor and stained the shards of glass. To the left, marks scuffed the walls, along with some more blood. There was a white napkin on the floor. Derek put on a latex glove and lifted the napkin. He sniffed it slightly and recoiled. "Chloroform." he announced, placing the napkin back on the floor.

JJ stepped forward. "Push," she murmured, extending her arms. Spencer could imagine Korey shoving Victoria backward, into the glass coffee table. JJ followed the trail of blood. "She tried to get away…"

"Looks like she succeeded," said Morgan, pointing to blood spots. He followed them to the right, through the kitchen and back into the living room through a different doorway. "She ran for the front door… There's blood here… Looks like she ended up on the floor, crawled away…"

"She used the shelf for support," said JJ, pointing to a bloody handprint on the shelf. "Hit Korey with that," JJ added, gesturing to the sparrow statuette. "And… Korey grabbed her?"

"Pinned her here," said Morgan, pointing to the scuffed wall with smeared blood. "Chloroformed her and carried her to his truck."

Spencer cleared his throat. "We need to find her laptop." he whispered. He walked past the mess and entered Victoria's bedroom. Her bags were lying on the bed, untouched.

"She didn't unpack," said JJ.

"No," said Spencer. "Which means she wasn't here long before Korey attacked her."

"Spence," said JJ. She placed a hand on his arm. "This is not your fault, okay?"

"I could've stopped it," Spencer snapped. "I could've checked the house or something, but I didn't. I didn't because I was mad."

JJ glanced at Morgan. The two of them looked a bit perplexed. "Reid, if you had been here, Korey probably would've killed you." said Morgan.

Spencer sighed as he searched through Victoria's work bag. He pulled out her laptop and its charger. "Why were you mad?" asked JJ.

Spencer's shoulders slumped. "Because I didn't want her to go home."

"You still haven't told her." said JJ.

"And I'll probably never get the chance." Spencer barked. He stormed out of the room and headed for the car. His hands trembled as he set the laptop on his lap and waited for JJ and Morgan to return to the car.

"Spence, you will get the chance to tell her." said JJ.

"And when you finally get to tell her, she will look at you tell you she loves you, too." said Morgan.

Spencer cleared his throat and blinked back tears. "I don't want to get my hopes up, all right? I did that with… with Maeve. And… We all know what happened there."

Morgan drove back toward the BAU. He and JJ were silent for a long time. Spencer didn't mind. He was lost in his own thoughts. He wasn't sure he wanted to see the video Korey had for them. What was Victoria's ex going to do? Was Victoria even alive? Spencer ran the probability. Most likely she was. But she wasn't going to be for long.

Garcia had Victoria's laptop open and unlocked. The team gathered around the screen, waiting for something to happen. Video footage popped onto the screen at precisely noon. Korey's face grinned at the screen. "Hello, BAU profilers," he drawled. Korey's cheek was cut and his forehead sported a deep gash. Korey's grin widened. "Like my battle scars?" he asked, pointing to his wounds. "Didn't expect Victoria to fight so much, but she did. You guys would be proud of her, actually. Grabbed a piece of glass and sliced my cheek open and then hit me upside the head with a bird thingy. I wish I could see your faces, but… Oh well. I'm sure you're all curious about what's going on. I'll get to that. Don't worry about Victoria; she's safe and sound here with me." Korey moved out of the camera's angle.

"Oh my God," Garcia whimpered. Victoria was tied to a chair, a piece of duct tape covering her mouth. She looked dazed. She had a few cuts and bruises, but it looked as if those were from her fight with Korey. So far, he hadn't touched her. Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. He had a guess as to where this was heading.

"Say hello to your team, honey," said Korey, gesturing to the camera. Victoria's eyebrows pinched together slightly in befuddlement. Her gaze flicked to the camera. Her eyes widened in horror. She closed her eyes, tears leaking through her lashes. "Now, to the why. Truthfully, it's all more of a punishment for Victoria and Dr. Reid than the rest of you. But you've all helped Victoria, so you're all guilty in my eyes," Korey chuckled. He began circling Victoria. Suddenly he grabbed a handful of Victoria's hair and yanked her head back. "I know you stayed over at Dr. Reid's place, fucking whore. And you kept trying to tell me that you and Reid didn't have a thing going on. Bullshit!" Korey smacked Victoria across the face. Garcia was trembling. Spencer flinched, but he couldn't look away. Korey pulled out a small knife. "Don't get any ideas about looking for me. Or I'll kill her." Korey threatened. Then he stabbed Victoria in the thigh. She whimpered in pain.

"I'm going to have this guy's head on a stick." Morgan growled.

Hotch covered his mouth with his hand. JJ laid a hand over her heart and fiddled with her sister's necklace. Rossi wore a grimace. Spencer stared at the screen with parted lips and wide eyes. Korey crossed the room to a table in the background. "Dr. Reid, I'm gonna make you hurt like you hurt me by taking Victoria away from me," said Korey. He returned to the camera's main focus. He held up a syringe. "I hope you don't mind; I read Victoria's file on you. Lots of juicy stuff in there. Like your time with Tobias Hankel. So tragic. He tortured you with dilaudid, didn't he?" Korey sneered.

Spencer's heart dropped into his stomach. "No." he whispered.

Korey walked over to Victoria and plunged the needle into her forearm. Victoria's body seized. Then she slumped in her chair, unconscious. Spencer felt tears burn his eyes. Korey faced the camera. "Torturing her won't be fun while she's unconscious. I will send another video at two-thirty pm. I would hate for you to miss the fun." The screen went black. Spencer backed away from it, shivering.

"Oh my God, oh my God, no! No!" Garcia sobbed. She turned in her chair to face the rest of the team. "What do we do?"

"We profile him," said Hotch. Although his eyebrows were furrowed in concern, he wore the most determined expression.

"Let's get to work." said JJ.

…

Spencer checked his watch every few minutes. He had recited Korey's exact words to him over the phone. The team had deduced that Korey was obviously a narcissistic, controlling bastard. Garcia had dug up peeping Tom incidents and cruelty to animals records in Korey's background. Great. So Korey was suffering from antisocial personality disorder.

"He's smart enough to use a proxy server. His IP address bounced around every thirty seconds so I couldn't track him. He streamed the video straight to Victoria's laptop, too. I tracked Victoria's phone's GPS. Right before it was shut off, the signal pinged off a cell tower in rural Virginia, several miles from Victoria's house." said Garcia.

"What's his endgame? Obviously he's sadistic. And he's a sociopath so he isn't doing this out of love." said Morgan.

"Parker's death?" JJ guessed.

Spencer winced. "No. It's more than that. He wants to inflict the most pain. He wants us to witness this because we took Victoria away from him."

"It isn't about love," said Blake. "But Parker is his in his mind. He sees her as a possession. In his eyes, we've taken away his control by 'freeing' Parker."

"He's using a knife which means he feels deprived of sex and needs to release those urges in some other way." said Morgan.

"Why hurt Reid, though? The dilaudid is very personal. Why?" said JJ.

The team stared at Spencer. He swallowed. "We… Korey knew that I… He knows that I love her. He wants to hurt me because he thinks I'm the reason Victoria left."

JJ shook her head. "But it's about Victoria, too. She's the one fighting back. She's hurt him the most. He must think Victoria loves you. She wouldn't want us to watch this. We all know Parker. She doesn't draw attention to herself. She's introverted."

"S-she takes care of us," whispered Garcia. She widened her eyes when she felt the eyes of the team fall on her. "Victoria's always protecting and caring for us. She… She never asked for us to do that for her. And now w-we have to. Victoria wouldn't want this."

Spencer's hands shook. "Korey wants to break her before he kills her."

"Okay, so it's all about maximum pain. Korey would take her somewhere that means something to her, him or both. Or even Reid." said Morgan.

"We never went anywhere rural." said Spencer, shaking his head.

"Okay, then it most likely means something to them." said Morgan.

Spencer's mind flew with thoughts. Somewhere in rural Virginia that meant something to Korey… "Does he have property?"

Garcia shook her head. "I checked already."

Spencer's heart sank in disappointment. "Five minutes."

The team rose and headed for Garcia's office. They waited with bated breath for an image to pop on the screen again. Korey's face popped up on the screen at precisely two-thirty. The surroundings around Victoria seemed different, but Spencer couldn't place it. Something about the lighting was off. And the floor… "Hello," he sang. "I hope you're all there and not out searching for me. But I have a feeling you're all there. You wouldn't want to miss this," Korey smirked and twirled a knife between his fingers. He strode over to Victoria, whose eyes were bloodshot. Her skin was pale and sweaty. Spencer knew the effects of dilaudid. What sort of dreams had Victoria had? Korey faced the camera. "Now, I know you've all probably started profiling me. What have you figured out? I'm sadistic? A psychopath? Narcissistic?" Korey chuckled. Victoria's mouth was still duct taped, but her eyes looked at the camera. She seemed to be meeting Spencer's gaze through the video. Spencer's eyes burned. His lips parted in horror. Korey pinched Victoria's nostrils. At first, nothing happened. "Maybe I have a sick need for control? A rapist?" Korey continued. Victoria's feet kicked out. She began to struggle, writhing to get free of Korey. She couldn't breathe. Korey let go of Victoria's nose. She doubled over, breathing heavily. "I hate women?" Korey suggested with a grin. He shook his head. "The truth is much simpler than all that. I just want this fucking cunt to pay for what she's done." Korey smacked Victoria again. She let out a muffled cry. She tried to speak. Korey ripped the duct tape off.

"What have I done?" Victoria croaked.

"What have you done?" Korey repeated softly. Victoria nodded. Korey laughed. "What haven't you done, bitch? Let's see… First off, you're a massive cock tease."

"Ugh," JJ groaned, shaking her head. Spencer leaned forward, staring at Victoria intently.

"How?" Victoria muttered.

"Dressing the way you do, flirting with other men…" Korey shrugged.

"I never flirted with other men." Victoria mumbled, her head lolling slightly.

"And what was all that hanging out with Dr. Reid, then?" Korey challenged.

Victoria's fuzzy gaze hardened. "He liked spending time with me, Korey. He didn't treat me like shit. He got to know me. You never did that."

Korey was still for a long time. Spencer held his breath. Korey hit Victoria. Spencer closed his eyes for a moment. He looked back at the screen. Korey circled Victoria. "You said you wanted to save yourself for marriage, but you were out fucking every cock but mine." Korey seethed.

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "I wasn't." she whispered thickly.

Korey traced the tip of the blade along Victoria's neck, down her collarbone and to her arm. He sliced her forearm. "Liar," Korey hissed. "Even now, you have the audacity to lie to me."

"I'm not lying." Victoria said.

"The hell you aren't!" Korey yelled, adding another gash to Victoria's arm. Victoria's fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white and her teeth were gritted, but she didn't cry out. Korey raised an eyebrow. "You led me on, Victoria," Korey seethed. "You're such a fucking tease. I'm sure you've done it to Dr. Reid, too. Let him think that he's finally gonna lose his fucking virginity and then BAM!" Korey through the knife across the room. Victoria jumped slightly. "No one's allowed to touch you, huh? What's so special about your pussy that it's untouchable, huh?" Korey huffed in Victoria's face.

Victoria laughed bitterly. "I don't even care anymore," she spat. "Kill me. Go on."

"No," whispered Garcia. Spencer inhaled sharply.

"No," said Korey. "That's not how this works. You die when I allow it." He trekked to the table and grabbed the syringe. He plunged the needle in Victoria's arm. Her head fell back and her body went limp. Korey turned to face the camera. "Next video is the real show. You get to witness what's so great about Victoria's cunt!" The video ended.

Spencer felt like vomiting. Korey was going to rape Victoria. He was going to rape Victoria on camera. Hot flashes rolled down Spencer's back and prickled his palms with sweat. He struggled to breathe. It was as if his lungs couldn't be filled with enough air, no matter how deeply he inhaled and exhaled. "No!" Garcia wailed. She buried her face in her hands.

Spencer clutched his chest. _Someplace important to Korey and Victoria…_ Spencer widened his eyes. "Garcia, check and see if Korey's family owns any property in Virginia."

Garcia's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Bingo," she said. "There's an old factory the parents bought a year ago to renovate… Renovations start next month."

"He proposed to her there," Spencer murmured. "I remember her telling me about Korey proposing on some of his parents' property."

"Let's go." said Hotch. He looked at Spencer. "Reid, you shouldn't go."

Spencer frowned. "But…"

"You look sick. You're not thinking straight. Seeing you might set Korey off. Stay here with Garcia." Hotch retorted.

Spencer opened his mouth to argue, but it fell flat. "Fine." The team left to save Victoria. Spencer couldn't quit thinking about how the location of Korey's torture chamber had seemed different… Familiar, even… Spencer pursed his lips. "I need to get some air." he announced. He left Garcia's office and headed for his car. He wasn't sure his hunch was correct. But he needed to do something. He drove to Victoria's house. He got out of the car, but didn't head inside the house. Instead, he headed out into the pasture where a charming barn painted a picturesque scene of quaint southern living. Spencer tried to open the barn door, but it was locked. Spencer frowned. He didn't think Victoria ever locked up the barn. Spencer shrugged and turned to head for his car. He didn't hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late, and the crowbar smashed against his head.

 **…**

 **Guest: Haha, if it makes you feel better, I was screaming that too and I wrote the darn thing! Thanks for the review!**

 **Thank you all for your support! The story is nowhere near finished, but I do have a question for you all… Would you like me to continue with season 11? I know that Reid (SPOILERS!) is supposed to get a love interest in season 11, or so I've heard. The season is only on episode 9, and I still have season 10 to do. And the rest of season 9. But I have a direction for this story to go, so I was wondering if you guys would be interested in that or not. I would definitely have to change things if Reid does have a love interest. I might do it anyway just because I enjoy writing this story.**

 **Anyway, let me know what you guys think of my idea and what you thought of this chapter in a review! Thank you!**


	16. Chapter 16

**_Bittersweet Truth_**

Spencer's head throbbed. He opened his eyes slowly. He was seated, his hands bound behind him and his feet strapped to the legs of the chair. His gaze lifted. Victoria was tied to a chair in front of him. Tears stained her cheeks. Spencer widened his eyes in horror. It was Maeve all over again.

"Congratulations on figuring it out, Dr. Reid," said Korey. "Well, I started out at my parents' warehouse, but I figured that was too easy to find. So, I went to the place where no one would expect: Victoria's own barn! I kept the lights low so that it would make it harder to tell that the location had changed, but it seemed you figured it out. I'm impressed. But this makes it more interesting."

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. He had to keep Victoria alive. He didn't care if he died. He just couldn't lose Victoria like Maeve. "I'm so sorry." Victoria whispered.

"This isn't totally your fault, sweetheart," said Korey. "Reid's only got himself to blame. He loves _my_ girl."

Victoria refused to meet Spencer's gaze. "Fuck you, Korey." she spat.

Korey scowled. Instead of striking Victoria, however, he smacked Spencer. "Every time you defy me, he gets it. Same goes for you, Reid." Korey snarled.

Spencer worked his jaw, his face stinging from the force of Korey's blow. Spencer looked at Victoria. She closed her eyes. Spencer looked up at Korey. "What do you want, Korey?" Spencer gritted out.

"The truth would be fucking wonderful," Korey growled. "Did you fuck my girl?"

Spencer shook his head. "No. We've never even kissed."

Korey raised his eyebrows. "What's got you so tied up with her, then? She's really not that interesting… Except for her pretty face. Her figure could be better, but hey. I'd still fuck it."

Spencer ground his teeth together. He glanced at Victoria before looking back at Korey. "She is interesting to me. She's not just a pretty face. And her figure is fine. She's my best friend. I can't tell you what it is about her that draws me to her, okay?"

Korey shrugged. "Whatever," he said. "It's still all your fault."

"Korey," Victoria croaked. "Spencer doesn't love me. I didn't end things between us to be with him. It's not like that."

Korey laughed. "Oh, you don't know! How cute!" He looked at Spencer. "But I saw it. I see it now. You came here without your team to trade, didn't you?"

Spencer nodded. "Take me. Hurt me. Kill me, whatever. Not her. Let her go, please."

Korey smirked. "But where would the fun be in that?" He strode around Victoria so that he stood behind her chair. He crouched and grabbed her hair. "Now, I wonder what would hurt you the most, Reid… Maybe I can beat her to death? Make her overdose on dilaudid?" Korey sneered. Spencer trembled. Korey's simper widened. "Shoot her in the head like Maeve?"

Spencer's eyes burned. He felt tears slip down his cheeks. "Please… don't. Korey, think about what you're doing. You'll be killing the woman you love."

"You mean the woman you love!" Korey yelled, letting go of Victoria's hair. He chuckled and stood. "I know," he muttered. "I'll do what you've never had the balls to do. I'll stick to my original plan, only the team won't see it. Just for you. I'll fuck her. Right here, in front of you. She claims to be a virgin… So you'll never get to be inside of her first. You'll never get to fuck her till she moans your name… You won't get to, ever."

Spencer's mouth fell open. He hadn't really ever considered sex with Victoria. He hoped that maybe one day… But he hadn't ever fantasized about it. He hadn't wanted to because he hadn't wanted to get his hopes up. And, love wasn't just about sex. But he felt sick. Korey would force it out of Victoria. It was supposed to be her choice. Korey cut Victoria loose. He threw her onto the floor. He crawled on top of her. Spencer struggled to get free of his zip-ties.

"Korey, please," Victoria whimpered. "Don't do this."

"Korey! Stop!" Spencer yelled.

Korey paused, holding Victoria down. "Why?"

"She's… She's everything to me. You're right, okay? I… I wasn't man enough to do what you're about to do. You don't have to prove it to me." Spencer said desperately.

"That's exactly why I'm doing this. I know I'm right. I know she's everything to you." Korey replied. He smacked Victoria. She cried out in pain. Korey unbuckled his pants. Spencer strained to get free, but the zip-ties merely cut into his wrists. No. No, no, no! This couldn't be happening. This was a thousand times worse than anything that could happen. If Korey succeeded… And if, on the slimmest chance that Victoria and Spencer got out of this, Victoria would never forgive him. Spencer would never forgive himself. No. He had to stop this. To his surprise, Victoria still had some fight left. She drew her fist back and punched Korey in the jaw. Spencer heard a sickening crunch and heard Victoria's groan of pain. She'd broken her own hand, but it gave her a split second to scramble away. "No!" Korey yelled. He grabbed Victoria's ankle. She tripped and crashed onto the floor. Victoria kicked Korey's nose. Spencer noticed a glint of silver in Korey's waistband. Spencer's gun. Victoria got to her feet, but Korey recovered quickly. He tackled Victoria and the two of them collided into Korey's table of torturous devices. Korey grabbed Victoria from behind and swung her around. She kicked and screamed, but Korey shoved her back to the floor. Korey advanced, but Victoria threw a knife at him. It nicked his leg. Korey pulled Spencer's gun out as Victoria got to her feet again.

"How poetic," said Korey, blood gushing into his mouth. "Reid's own gun will kill the woman he loves."

The barn door burst open before Korey could pull the trigger. "FBI, drop the weapon!" Morgan yelled.

Spencer wanted to cry with relief. And then he heard his own gun fire. His eyes widened in horror. " _No_!"

…

Spencer looked up as a doctor entered the lobby. "Victoria Parker?" he questioned.

Spencer and the rest of the team stood. The doctor frowned. "Is she okay?" Spencer croaked.

The doctor sighed. "She had high amounts of dilaudid in her system. Her hand and several ribs are broken. Her right cheek suffered a fracture, too. She lost a lot of blood. But… She'll be okay. The bullet went through clean in her abdominal region. She'll make a full recovery."

Spencer didn't relax with the rest of the team. "May I see her?"

The doctor nodded, though he looked hesitant. "Right this way."

Spencer followed the doctor to Victoria's room. As soon as he saw her, he rushed to her bedside and sank into a chair. Victoria stared at him. "Hey." she muttered throatily.

"Hey," Spencer replied. He looked at his hands. "Victoria, I am so incredibly sorry. This is all my fault."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. Korey was crazy." said Victoria. She shrugged slightly, then winced.

Spencer looked Victoria in the eyes. "He wasn't lying," he said. Victoria frowned. "He was right. I-I do love you." Spencer swallowed, his eyes burning with tears. There. He said it.

"W-what?" Victoria whispered.

Spencer pursed his lips. "I don't really know when… I don't know when I realized I loved you. But I do. I love you, and Korey knew it. You're my best friend, Victoria. W-when I saw you being tortured, I was terrified. I was terrified I was going to lose you. Because I don't want to live without you."

Victoria stared at him, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. "Spencer…"

"I-I didn't want to tell you because… Well, you were with Korey for a while. And I didn't want to ruin our friendship, but Korey ruined that for me anyway. You should know. I didn't tell Maeve. I almost made the same mistake with you, but I was given a second chance. I… I love you." Spencer's voice wavered and he cut himself off. He inhaled deeply. "I am so sorry that he did this to you because of me. He tortured you in ways he knew would hurt me. I am so, so sorry. I'll understand if you never forgive me."

"Stop," Victoria whispered. Spencer looked at his hands. "Stop blaming yourself. It's not your fault. There's nothing to forgive. Korey was crazy," Victoria blew out a long breath. "And Spence, I… I love you, too."

Spencer looked up, stunned. "Y-you do?"

Victoria let out a bitter laugh. "Spence, I've loved you since I watched you fall in love with Maeve."

Spencer flinched. That long? Well, in some ways, Spencer had loved Victoria then, too. He just hadn't realized it. Looking back, it made sense. "Oh."

"Yeah," muttered Victoria. "But… I'm not… good."

Spencer frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "Look at what happened! You were almost killed because I was too stupid to get out of a toxic relationship. I'll only hold you down, Spence. I'm not… I'm not her, Spencer. I'm not as smart as you. I'm not as beautiful as Maeve. I'm not the star of my field. I'm not s-special. I… I counsel victims and I can't even stop myself from becoming one! I'm…"

"Stop," Spencer snapped. Victoria fell silent. Spencer reached over and took her hands. "There aren't a lot of people as smart as me," he said. Victoria looked away. Spencer licked his lips. "I have a lot of knowledge, Victoria. You… You have a lot of wisdom and creativity. I'm not the star in my field, either. Out of everything I could've done, I chose to be an FBI profiler. You know what? You are special. Look at what you've done for this team. You've helped us through hell and back. You haven't just observed us, you've protected us. You've been right there, crawling through the mud with us. You didn't stand and take notes. You went with us. You're not a victim. You're a survivor. I know you're not Maeve. She'll always be special to me, yeah. In memory. You don't need to be her for me to love you. Among a hundred different people, you'll find a hundred different forms of love. You are beautiful, inside and out. I love you, Victoria."

Victoria sniffed. "Spencer… I love you. But… I'm not ready for another relationship right now. It wouldn't be fair to you or me. I'm not ready."

Spencer nodded, despite his disappointment. But he understood. Of course she wouldn't be. Her ex had tried to rape and kill her. No sane person would be okay for another romantic relationship. "I understand."

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "But I don't want us to drift apart, okay? You're my best friend. I love you, and I do want to be together… I'm just not ready for… the romantic side, I guess. I just need some time, okay?"

"Victoria, I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to push you away anymore. I only did that because I loved you and I didn't think you loved me back." Spencer said.

Victoria laughed slightly. She winced again. Spencer wanted to pull her into a hug, but he knew that would only contribute to her pain. "For someone as smart as you, you can be such an idiot."

Spencer scowled, but his lips upturned with a smile. "Yeah, well… You didn't know how I felt, either."

"Everyone else knew." said Garcia from the doorway.

"Yeah, it's about damn time!" added Morgan, shuffling into the room. Spencer looked at his teammates, smiling slightly.

Victoria gaped. "Garcia only knew about me!"

"No, honey," said Garcia. "You told me. I could see that Reid did."

"To be honest, I was surprised when it was Maeve who Spencer loved," said Blake. "The two of you were so close."

Spencer's chest clenched slightly. He glanced back at Victoria, whose eyes were tinged with sadness. "What happened after I was shot?" Victoria asked.

"Morgan shot Korey and killed him." said Hotch.

Victoria nodded. Spencer watched Victoria's reaction closely. She seemed lost in thought. "How are you feeling?" Garcia asked.

Victoria snapped out of her daze. "Honestly?" she said. "Like shit."

JJ chuckled, striding over to a different chair. "Well, you put up a good fight."

Victoria smirked. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?"

Morgan crossed over to Victoria. "You broke your hand punching Korey, didn't you?"

Victoria scowled. "Maybe…"

Morgan chortled. "After you heal, I'm teaching you how to punch properly, okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Okay. Just warning you, I'm not a kinetic learner by any stretch of the imagination."

Morgan grinned. "No way!" he teased.

"Parker, take as much time as you need." Hotch said.

Victoria looked pale. "Okay," she said. "What about my brothers?"

"I called them," said Garcia. "I told them you're in the hospital and you're doing okay. They're worried and asked if they could see you."

Victoria nodded. "I-I'd like to see them."

"I'll pick them up after school," Spencer offered.

Victoria looked at him, relieved. "Thank you," she said. She looked at the team. "Thank you. For… For finding me."

"Parker," said Morgan. "You don't need to thank us."

"Of course we found you! You're family." said Garcia, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"If there's anything you need, let us know, kiddo." said Rossi.

"Does the rest of my family know?" Victoria asked. Spencer frowned. Victoria didn't talk about the rest of her family much.

"No," said JJ.

"C-could you call my mom?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah," said Garcia. "Anyone else?"

"My brother and sister." Victoria muttered.

Spencer frowned. Brother? Sister? Why hadn't Victoria ever talked about them? "You have other siblings?"

Victoria nodded. Her eyes filled with tears. "I-I need to tell them I'm sorry. K-Korey didn't let me talk to them much. And I listened because I'm an idiot."

"Don't say that," said Garcia. She softened. "Tell us about your brother and sister."

"My brother is older than me. He's Brett," Victoria murmured. "Alice is younger than me. Brett's a spinal orthopedic surgeon and Alice has her own bakery."

"Are the age gaps big?" asked Morgan.

"Only between Jason and Alice," said Victoria. "We like to call Jason the Hawaiian surprise because we weren't expecting him."

JJ chuckled. "I'm sure he loves that nickname."

"Guys," said Hotch. Spencer glanced at Victoria. Her eyes were sliding shut. "Give Parker some rest. There's plenty of time to talk about her family."

Spencer smiled, watching Victoria's eyes droop further until she slipped into a peaceful slumber. "I'll pick up her brothers," said Morgan.

Spencer nodded. "Thanks." he muttered. The team filtered out, one by one.

"Spence," said JJ, pausing in front of the door. Spencer looked at her. "I'm proud of you."

Spencer pursed his lips into an awkward smile. JJ returned it and left the room. Spencer looked back at Victoria. "I love you." he whispered. He smiled to himself. And she loved him. How odd. But it was the best kind of strange he'd encountered.

 **…**

 **I have one vote to continue to Season 11… Anyone else? Thanks to my lovely reviewers, such as the guests and BAUProfileQueen. You guys rock! And… Korey got what he deserved. Lemme know what you guys thought! I probably won't be posting for a while since my finals are next week, but I'll try to get another chapter in!**


	17. Chapter 17

**_In the Blood_**

 _"_ _You're mine," hissed Korey. His weight pressed against her, holding her down. She struggled, but Korey was too strong, too heavy._

 _She looked over at Spencer, who watched with wide eyes. His mouth was duct taped. Blood ran down his head. He sported a black eye from Korey's beatings. "I'm sorry," Victoria whispered. Spencer's eyes filled with tears. He shook his head. He wanted her to fight, but Victoria was too tired… Her eyes were so heavy… She couldn't lift her arms, let alone push Korey off her. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheek, and let Korey take her._

Victoria jerked awake. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. She wiped away the tears that had leaked out during her nightmare. She sniffled and checked her phone, which was sitting on her bedside table. She had two missed calls, one from Spencer and one from Penelope. "Shit." she muttered. She called Spencer back.

"Victoria, hey," said Spencer after the second ring.

"What's up?" Victoria asked, her voice still rough with sleep.

"Garcia and I are going to the store in a little bit to get some stuff for Garcia's party. Wanna go with us?" Spencer said.

"Actually, you better come, or I'll hunt you down!" Penelope's voice yelled.

Victoria's lips twitched. "Sure. I'll head over to Penelope's in a bit."

"Okay," said Spencer. Victoria hung up. She got out of bed and put on some foundation and powder to hide the dark circled under her eyes. She covered the blemishes from Korey's attack. She jiggled some mascara against her lashes. She dabbed some colored balm on her lips. She ventured into her closet. She grabbed some skinny leg jeans and a plain periwinkle sweater. She got dressed and then pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She hurried out to her car and drove to Penelope's.

She had been away from work for two weeks now, but the team hadn't abandoned her. Spencer had visited her every day that he could. When he'd been on a case, he had called her every day to check on her. Penelope had cooked some meals with JJ for Victoria. Her brothers had stayed at the school's dorm, but Victoria visited them every day. She wasn't ready to have them back yet. She wasn't sure she could take care of them properly until she could take care of herself again. This was the first time she had put on makeup in two weeks. She hadn't been sleeping much. When she did sleep, nightmares flashed in her mind. She shivered. It was the same dream, over and over again. Korey succeeded in raping her.

Victoria parked in visitor's parking at Garcia's apartment complex. She entered the building and climbed the stairs up to Garcia's apartment. She knocked on the door. While she waited for Penelope to answer the door, a man exited his apartment. Victoria shrank away from him when they made eye contact. The man stared at her for a few seconds before heading down the hall in the opposite direction. Garcia's apartment door swung open. Victoria jumped, panting slightly.

Spencer frowned at her. "You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," Victoria breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Spencer moved aside so that Victoria could enter the apartment. "Garcia wants to take one car, so I came here."

"Hey," said Garcia, pulling Victoria into a hug. "How are you?"

Victoria pursed her lips. "I'm all right. Still sore."

"Yeah," said Garcia. "You're coming to my party next week, right?"

"Of course," said Victoria. "Trust me, I need out of my house."

Penelope nodded. "Okay. Let's go to the store!"

Victoria followed Penelope and Spencer to Penelope's car. "Have you met Esther?" Penelope asked Victoria.

"I have not," said Victoria, smiling. "My car's name is Ethel."

Penelope gaped. "Why have you never told me this?"

Victoria grinned. "It's not something I can bring up in casual conversation," she said. "Hi, I'm Victoria Parker and my car's name is Ethel."

Penelope laughed. Spencer helped Victoria slide gingerly into the backseat. Her ribs were still sore, and her abdomen still felt like she'd been sucker punched with a rusty knife. Spencer jumped into the backseat. "You sure you're okay to walk around?" Penelope asked, noticing Victoria's grimace.

"Yeah, I'm good," said Victoria, resting a hand on her stomach. She whistled a breath out. "Just sore. But I'm fine." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Spencer and Penelope glance at each other.

…

Spencer grinned as he placed salsa in the buggy. "Yum, spotted dick," said Victoria, gesturing to the can of spotted dick.

Penelope snickered. "That doesn't sound appetizing in the slightest."

Victoria shook her head, smirking. "Thanksgiving's around the corner." she commented.

"I know! We all get a few days off work for Thanksgiving. I'm looking forward to it. What're you doing, V?" Penelope said.

Victoria placed a bag of bean dip into the buggy. "I'm going to visit my family," she said.

"In Louisiana?" Penelope queried softly.

Victoria nodded. Spencer watched her closely. Her face was tight and her eyes were dark. She yawned for the umpteenth time that day. "You okay?" Spencer asked.

Victoria looked at him. "Yeah," she said. "Just… Worried about seeing them. Korey… He never really let me talk to my family."

"They were really happy when I called them with your apology," said Penelope. "And upset, of course, when I told them what happened. Have you talked to them?"

"Yeah," Victoria said. She fiddled with the sleeves of her jacket. "My mom's happy. My sister sounded excited that I was going to Shreveport. My brother… Brett was pissed off."

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"Not at me, but at Korey. I'm just glad Brett didn't feel the need to say 'I told you so'." Victoria replied.

"What do you mean?" Penelope asked quietly.

"Well, he told me Korey was an asshole. But… I didn't listen. I'm just worried that they're playing nice because of what happened, but sooner or later, they're going to remember that I'm the one who… chose this." Victoria trailed off.

"You did not choose this," Penelope scolded. "You didn't ask for what Korey did to you. Sure, you made a mistake. But they'll forgive you. You're family."

"Korey was controlling," said Spencer. "And you didn't realize it at first. But you did, eventually. What he did to you is not your fault."

Victoria nodded. She sighed. "I'm just nervous about seeing them. I don't want to tell them the details, you know?"

"So don't," said Penelope. "Skim over it. I already told them what happened."

"I know," Victoria sighed. She smiled. "I am excited to see my brother and sister, though."

"Were you guys close growing up?" Spencer asked. Garcia headed to the checkout center after grabbing multiple bottles of various liquors.

"Very," Victoria said. "I can only remember four big fights that Brett and I ever got in, besides the occasional bickering."

"Four fights?" Penelope said as she paid.

"Yeah," Victoria grinned. "But they were bad."

"Bad, how?" Penelope asked.

"Uh, like beat-each-other-up bad." said Victoria.

"Is that where you learned to fight back?" Penelope asked.

"Yep," said Victoria, smiling. "Although I need some new training," she added, indicating to her casted right hand. "I can't wait to get this thing off."

Spencer smiled. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Victoria. He hadn't been fine directly after his time with Tobias Hankel. In fact, he'd had trouble with dilaudid… Spencer glanced at Victoria. She didn't look like she was using. Except for the dark circles under her eyes that she'd tried to hide with makeup. And her paranoia. The way she'd jumped when he had answered the door at Garcia's… Something was definitely wrong.

…

"You can just put everything on the counter, I'll put it all away later." said Penelope.

"I like your altar." said Spencer. Victoria carried the smallest bag and set it on the counter.

"Thank you. Now, there's still a lot to do before the party next week and I'm scared… I've never had the whole team here before." Penelope said.

"Why're you doing a Day of the Dead theme?" Spencer asked.

"Well, my stepfather's family always made a big deal of it in Mexico, and my name is… Penelope Garcia, after all. Hey, could you check my refrigerator and see if I have enough hot sauce?" Penelope replied.

Spencer nodded and ducked inside the refrigerator. Victoria glanced over at Garcia, who was dripping fake blood near her eyes. Victoria smirked and waited to see Spencer's reaction. Spencer pulled out of the fridge, carrying two jars. "You've got some jalapeño sauce next to this jar of eyeballs, but I think you're going to need more, depending on how much guacamole you're planning on making," Spencer paused, staring at Garcia. "You okay?"

"You didn't even flinch," said Penelope. Spencer's eyebrows twitched and he parted his lips thoughtfully. "JJ was right… I told her I wanted to go scary this Halloween and she just laughed at me and said I don't have a scary side."

"I'm sorry," said Spencer. "If it makes you feel any better, you probably do."

"Really?" Penelope demanded.

"Yeah, the building blocks of the human personality are complex, varied and multifaceted. It's essential to one's mental health to want to express these hidden personalities and it's just a fact of nature that everybody has one." Spencer replied.

"Everybody? You have one?" said Penelope.

"Oh, absolutely, yeah." said Spencer, nodding. Victoria couldn't fight the grin spreading across her cheeks.

"Okay. Okay, I wanna see it. I wanna see Dr. Spencer Reid's hidden personality." Penelope insisted.

"Oh… Uh… R-right here? Right now?" Spencer stuttered. He glanced at Victoria briefly before looking back at Penelope.

"I have fake blood running down my cheeks. Right here, right now." said Penelope, putting on her glasses.

"Okay… Once you see it, you can't un-see it," said Spencer. He put his hands on the back of his neck. He groaned. Victoria widened her eyes and exchanged a bewildered glance with Penelope. Spencer looked up. "I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, did that guy just fire five shots, or did that guy just fire six shots? You're gonna have to ask yourself a question… Do you feel lucky, punk?" Spencer relaxed. "That was Clint Eastwood in _Dirty Harry_."

"Oh." said Penelope.

"I know it's not as effective as my dominant personality, but I feel like there's…" Spencer stopped when Penelope's phone rang.

"We gotta go." she said.

"I think you need to dig deeper for your dark side." said Victoria, patting Spencer's arm. The three of them exited Penelope's apartment.

"When do you come back to work?" asked Penelope.

"I'm not sure." said Victoria.

She looked around and crossed her arms. She offered Spencer a small smile to let him know she was okay. "Let me walk you to your car." said Spencer. Victoria wanted to protest. But she didn't want to walk to her car by herself, so she nodded.

"Thank you," she muttered when they reached her Ford Escape.

Spencer nodded. "Are you okay?"

Victoria bit her lip. "Yeah. Why?"

Spencer shrugged. "Just checking on you."

"I'm fine, Spence. Are you okay? You didn't take as much time off as I did. You were tortured, too." Victoria replied.

Spencer licked his lips. "I wasn't hurt as much as you, Victoria. Once you were… Once I knew you were okay, I… I found it easier to move on."

Victoria nodded. She could feel Spencer watching her. She glanced at him. "I'm okay."

"I know," said Spencer. He smiled and squeezed her arm. "I'll see you when we get back, okay?"

"Okay." Victoria replied. Spencer dipped his head and walked away, his hands in his pockets. Victoria climbed into her car and drove home. She ran a bath for herself. She sank into the hot water, letting out a sharp hiss as the water flooded her healing wounds. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Korey's face flashed behind her lids. She opened her eyes. Chills rippled down her spine. She began to tremble and her breath grew short and empty.

Where had it gone wrong with Korey? He hadn't always been a controlling ass. It had started like in movies. The playful glances that had sent her heart soaring, the teases, and the touches that felt like static shocks… The roses he had sent her, the romantic dinners for two… She had been a giddy school girl.

But Korey had sprinkled in a comment or two. _You should workout. Maybe a bit more makeup, sweetheart. Oh man, that chick is hot! Oh, c'mon, why don't you want to have sex? You're such a tease, bitch._ And then his grip on her had tightened. Harder and harder, until he was choking on her. Suffocating her with his demands. But it had been so great in the beginning. So why had it fallen apart? Why had she not developed feelings deeper than lust, than infatuation? Why had he chosen to break her down? Why had she allowed it? Why did her feelings for Spencer feel so… different?

It was _real_. It wasn't a game with Spencer. She was safe. Comfortable. Content. He respected her and she respected him. They were friends. Their very relationship was built off a foundation of loyalty, trust, selflessness and care. Instead of high tensions and making her heart race, Spencer calmed her down. It wasn't about how he made her feel. It was just him. He was enough. They didn't need romantic dinners for two. She just wanted to be around him. And if she didn't feel like hanging out, she could be honest and say she needed "me" time. She was honest with him, and he with her. She would die for him.

But she didn't want to be just friends anymore. She'd fallen asleep in his arms before. She wanted that every night. She had held his hand before. She wanted to be able to do that without asking if it was okay. She wanted to say "I love you" without worrying about it scaring him away. She wanted adventures with her best friend. She wanted to live with him by her side. She wasn't ready for sex or extreme intimacy. But they had already shared the most intimate things before: their souls. Victoria had given Spencer something she had never trusted Korey with. Her soul. Everything she was, all her dreams, ideas, thoughts, habits, likes, dislikes, past, present and future. Korey had held her heart, sure. But her soul was _her_. Who she was, is and will be. And she had given that to Spencer. The pieces of herself were shattered and thrown around. She wanted to pick them up and give them to Spencer. She may be broken, but she would love Spencer with every piece of herself in the best way she knew how.

…

Spencer dialed Victoria's number. He was worried about her. She didn't seem okay. Who would be, after what she had suffered? "Hello?" Victoria's voice sounded groggy from lack of use.

"Were you sleeping?" Spencer asked.

"No," said Victoria. "Just… Thinking."

"About what?" Spencer asked.

"Um…" Victoria trailed off. "I'll tell you later. What's up?"

"I was just checking on you." said Spencer.

"Oh," said Victoria. "Thanks, but I'm fine. Really. I'm okay, Spence."

"Okay," said Spencer. "Um… So you're going to Garcia's party, right?"

"Yeah," said Victoria. "You?"

"Yeah," said Spencer. "We're supposed to bring a picture of someone who's passed."

"I know," said Victoria. "Are you bringing Maeve?"

"Yeah," Spencer muttered. There was a long silence. "Who're you bringing?"

"I don't know," said Victoria. "Hey, I'm getting another call."

"Oh. Okay, I'll talk to you later." said Spencer.

"Yeah." Victoria hung up.

Spencer sighed. Victoria sounded… sad. There was no other way to put it. She sounded as if she'd been crying. What had she been thinking about?

…

"Alice?" Victoria queried.

"Victoria," said Alice. "How are you?"

Victoria's eyes welled with tears. "I-I'm okay," she said. "Hanging in there."

"I know," said Alice gently. "We all miss you."

"I miss you guys, too." said Victoria.

"I had a purpose for calling you," said Victoria's sister lazily, "and it was to ask if you get time off for Thanksgiving."

"Only a few days," said Victoria. "But yeah, I do."

"Why don't you come down for Thanksgiving?" Alice suggested.

Victoria bit her lip. How could her family want to be around her after she had pushed them away because Korey had told her to? "Y-you guys really want me there?"

"Don't be stupid," said Alice. "Of course we do. We love you."

"I love you guys, too," said Victoria, the tears slipping from her eyes. "I'd like to see everybody for Thanksgiving, yeah."

"Great! You can stay with me." Alice chirped.

"Alice?" Victoria said.

"Yeah?" Alice sang.

"Thank you." Victoria muttered.

"You're welcome," said Alice, her voice mellowing out. "Love you, sis."

"Love you, too." Victoria replied.

Over the next few days, Victoria tried to get some sleep. She bought a container of Advil PM to aid her. It helped, but after spending many a night with only an hour or two of sleep, eight hours left Victoria feeling worse than before. The day of Garcia's party, Victoria had no choice but to put on makeup because she looked so shitty. She slipped on a modest navy blue dress, nude heels and a statement necklace. She pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. She kept her makeup matte and natural-ish. She left the house, a picture clutched in her hand as she drove to Garcia's. She arrived just after Hotch.

"V! You look pretty," said Penelope, swinging the door open wider. Victoria stepped inside.

"Thank you," Victoria said. She was suddenly insecure about the yellowing bruises on her arms, neck and legs. She pulled on her sweater. Each team member hugged her and exchanged small talk. Victoria found herself standing next to Spencer. He nudged her with his shoulder. Victoria smiled at him and nudged him back. Spencer's lips twisted with a smirk. Penelope handed Victoria a drink.

"I want to thank you all for coming and doing this with me. Our altar is brimming, and I just feel so blessed to have you all here. I'll start," said Penelope. She laid a picture of a couple on the altar. "This is my mom and dad. I miss them," she said. She placed a picture of an orange tabby cat on the altar. "And this is my cat, Simba, with his usual bowl of soda pop," Penelope continued. Victoria chuckled along with the team. "He was a _weird_ cat! Okay, who's next?"

"This is my sister Rosalind, Ros… She always dreamt that'd she live in _un Paris_ , so… didn't happen, but… I thought this would bring her some happiness." said JJ, setting down an Eiffel Tower figurine next to Rosalind's picture.

"Private First Class, Darryl Jenson. We lost him in the Tet Offensive. He was a huge Cubs fan." said Rossi, placing down a picture and some Cubs tickets.

Alex placed a picture and a crossword puzzle down. "My mom," she said. "She was the one who got me into crosswords, no erasing allowed, which got me into linguistics."

"You said we could bring more than one, right?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, this is a come one, come all kind of party." said Penelope.

Spencer placed a picture of Maeve on the altar. Victoria pressed her lips together and bowed her head. Spencer placed an old picture of a man down. "Nikola Tesla. I figure he's probably been inventing things on the other side, so hopefully he'll bring something to us." Spencer said.

Victoria smiled slightly. "I brought my Pops. He was a cigar aficionado, big time. And he was actually a huge Cubs fan, too." said Morgan, setting down a picture of his father and a cigar.

"Maybe they can go to the game together." said Rossi.

Hotch laid Haley's picture down wordlessly. Victoria stepped forward. She placed a picture of her grandfather on the altar. "My grandpa, Pawpy. He was a real country, rough guy. But he was also the sweetest man I ever knew." she said sadly.

She stepped back beside Spencer. "Well, I guess this is proof that ancestry ain't all bad." said Rossi.

"A toast to the thirty or forty of us?" said Penelope. The team clinked their glasses together.

…

Spencer drove to Victoria's house. It was the day after Penelope's party. There was no urgent case, so the team had the day off. He didn't even knock. He just strolled in.

"Hey, Spence," said Jason. He jumped, working his fingers along the neck of a Guitar Hero guitar.

"What's up, fucker?" said Seth. He had a guitar in hand, too. "Shit! Fuck, I messed that up."

"Dude, we're gonna fail the song if you keep screwing up." said Jason.

Spencer glanced at the TV before plopping down beside Victoria. She still had her pajamas on. A bit of mascara accentuated her eyelashes, but no other makeup coated her skin. The cuts and bruises were fading, but they were still there. Spencer knew Victoria was self-conscious about her wounds. She didn't have to be. Spencer knew where they came from. And she was still beautiful.

"V, wanna play?" Jason asked.

"Vocal or guitar?" Victoria asked.

"You can play bass for a song," said Seth. His shoulders jerked upward with their usual tic as he handed the guitar over. Victoria nodded.

"Okay," she said. She put the strap over her shoulder and stood beside Jason.

"What song?" asked Jason.

"I don't care," said Victoria.

"Here we go," said Jason. "Through Fire and Flames by Dragonforce."

Spencer laughed, watching Jason and Victoria struggle with the difficult song. They cussed whenever they messed up, but Spencer was a bit impressed with them. He watched the siblings goof off. Jason, Victoria and Seth ended up playing RockBand. Jason picked screamo songs for Victoria, where she had to sing ridiculously deep. Spencer joined in for a song or two, but he was so horrible at singing that he opted for watching. Seth ended up putting Left4Dead in, which Spencer found more fun than RockBand.

Spencer took a break from gaming to use the bathroom. He trekked through Victoria's bedroom to enter the master bathroom. He paused upon seeing a bottle of pills on the counter. Sleeping pills. Spencer opened the bottle. It looked like a fairly new bottle, but a small amount of pills were missing. Spencer frowned and put the bottle down. He was relieved it wasn't dilaudid, but…

He pulled Victoria aside after returning from the bathroom. "I found the pills."

Victoria scowled. "They're just sleeping pills."

"Victoria," Spencer scolded. "Be honest."

"Spence, I'm having trouble sleeping, all right? I'm not overdosing or anything. It's just to help me sleep at night." said Victoria.

Spencer sighed. "Look, I…"

"Come here," said Victoria, tugging Spencer outside. They walked around in Victoria's pasture. She paused, staring at the barn. "I was almost killed in there. I was attacked in my own home, Spence. I'm not sleeping very well. I'm not abusing. But I can't get more than an hour or two of sleep on my own."

Spencer put his hands in his pocket. He was reminded of Elle Greenaway. She had been shot in her own home and turned to drinking. She killed a man and then left the BAU. "Victoria, after I was tortured by Tobias Hankel, I started using dilaudid." he muttered.

"I know." Victoria said gently.

"I know you do. I'm telling you that I pushed people away. I thought dilaudid was the only way for me to cope. I know how you feel. Isolating yourself isn't going to help. Let your brothers live with you again." said Spencer.

"How can I take care of them when I can't take care of myself?" Victoria whispered.

Spencer softened. "Victoria…"

"Look at me, Spencer," Victoria snapped. "I can't sleep. I-I've been having nightmares. And when I'm awake, I have anxiety attacks. I mean, I've always had a problem with anxiety, but… it's a lot worse now. I don't know what to do." Victoria put her face in her hands and then looked at Spencer tearfully.

"Don't push us away," Spencer murmured. "Talk to me. Distract yourself. Write, paint, dance, sing. I don't care what you do to help you cope, as long as it doesn't hurt you. Don't bottle it up inside. That'll only make it worse."

Victoria nodded, biting her lip. Spencer pulled her close. "My family invited me to Thanksgiving," Victoria muttered into Spencer's jacket. She looked at him. "Do you… Do you want to go with me?"

Spencer blinked. "T-to meet your family?"

Victoria nodded. Her eyes filled with tears again. "I don't know if I can face them alone."

Spencer swallowed. "Yeah. I'll go with you."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Spence."

Spencer returned the gesture. "You're welcome." _I love you._

 **…**

 **So, a lot of people want me to continue to Season 11, so I will. I still have the rest of Season 9 (I'm not doing every episode, but there's still a lot more to cover) and I have Season 10, so it will be a while before I get to Season 11. (11 may or may not be completely finished by the time I get to it, but it will be ahead in it episodes! Plus I have to re-watch episodes and make sure I've got the script down semi-correctly before I actually write the chapters…)**

 **Anyway, thank you guys so much for the reviews! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter we're going to meet Victoria's family!**


	18. Chapter 18

**_Thanksgiving_**

Spencer watched Victoria's fingers clench and unclench the steering wheel. "They'll assume we're dating. They'll ask awkward questions, too. Oh, if Pawpy were here, he'd ask for your political party and religious beliefs. They might tell you some weird stories. And they make fun of everybody, so don't feel like they're picking on you or anything. And they cuss worse than I do sometimes, so don't be surprised. We all have kind of morbid senses of humor, too. But you're great, so they'll love you. I mean, who wouldn't? But hopefully they don't bring up Korey and what happened because it might make it awkward…"

"Victoria," Spencer chided. "It'll be okay."

"Right. Let's go." Victoria shut off the engine. She grabbed a tray of cookies and handed it to Jason. Spencer let Seth walk ahead of him before following Victoria up to the house. It was Mediterranean style, with light yellow stucco walls and Tuscan-style rooftops and ivy crawling up the walls. It was charming, yet magnificent, in a way. Victoria's mother obviously had money. Spencer frowned. Victoria hadn't ever mentioned that her family was wealthy. But why would she?

They knocked on the French front doors. A fiery redheaded woman with blue eyes and a curvy figure opened the door. "Victoria!" she exclaimed, pulling Victoria into a vice-like hug. Spencer winced when Victoria let out a small yelp of pain. Her bullet wound was still mending. The woman withdrew from Victoria to peer at Spencer.

"I'm, uh, Dr. Spencer Reid, but y-you don't have to call me doctor…" Spencer pursed his lips awkwardly. The woman smiled.

"Victoria told me about you." said the woman. "I'm Gemma, Victoria's mother." She hugged Jason and Seth before leading everyone inside. The inside opened up to a foyer with high ceilings. Spilling into the entryway was a spiral staircase. They walked into the living room and to the right, where they entered the kitchen. The cabinets were mint green and the floor was dark hardwood. There was a white granite countertop island, where side dishes for the coming meal were placed. Jason set the cookies down before he and Seth charged toward the staircase and out of sight.

"I like your house," said Spencer, observing the wooden beams on the ceiling.

"Thank you," said Gemma, smiling. "Marry well, divorce better, as I always say."

Spencer raised his eyebrows and glanced at Victoria. She merely shook her head in reply. "Where are the others?" she asked.

"Brett and his family aren't here yet. Alice went to pick up Nana." Gemma replied.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Victoria asked.

Gemma paused in her sautéing of mushrooms. "Put the bread into the oven for two minutes. Make sure it doesn't burn."

"Yes ma'am," said Victoria.

"How was the drive here?" asked Gemma.

"Long," said Spencer.

"It is a long drive," Gemma agreed. She smiled at Spencer. "So, how long have the two of you been dating?"

"Erm, we're not dating," Spencer replied.

Gemma winked. "Not yet," she muttered. She glanced up at the sound of the front door creaking open.

"Aunt Ria?!" squealed a voice. Spencer looked around. A skinny, lanky child jumped into Victoria's arms.

"Hey, Ivy!" Victoria cried.

"WIA!" yelled another child. A young boy leaped into Victoria's arms with Ivy.

Another child, a girl, grabbed Victoria's leg. Yet another, a boy, grabbed her other. "I'm being bombarded with children!" Victoria laughed. Spencer grinned.

A man, a few years older than Victoria, entered the room. "Kids, get off your aunt Victoria," he said. The children obeyed. Spencer noticed Victoria disguising a grimace of pain.

"Hey Brett," said Victoria.

"Hey," said Brett. He hugged Victoria gently. When he withdrew, Spencer noticed the man's eyes sparkling with tears. Spencer suddenly felt as if he were intruding on a very private moment. This was a family reunion, and Spencer wasn't family.

"Brett, this is my friend, Spencer. Spence, this is my brother Brett, and his four kids, Ivy, Walker, Lucy and Wright." Victoria said. The kids grinned before scattering. Spencer looked up when a very pregnant woman. She was tall and, had she not been pregnant, fit. She had long dark hair and dark eyes. She was pretty.

"Hi, Grace," said Victoria.

"Victoria! I heard you were coming! It's so good to see you!" said the woman. She hugged Victoria. Spencer shook Grace's hand.

"How far along are you?" said Victoria.

"A little over eight months," said Grace, rubbing her belly.

"Do you know the sex of the baby?" Spencer asked.

"It's a girl," said Grace.

"Congratulations," said Spencer.

"Any names?" Victoria asked, her eyes bright.

"I like Della or Danielle, but Brett is in favor of Ashleigh or Brianna." said Grace.

"You don't hear the name Della very often." said Victoria.

"It's weird," said Brett, making a face.

"Ashleigh's nice." Spencer offered.

Grace shook her head. "Too common. And so is Brianna."

"But it's not weird." said Brett.

"Do I have to remind you who gets to go through childbirth?" Grace teased.

"How about Adeline?" Victoria suggested.

"I like it," said Brett with a shrug.

"Me too," said Grace. "But we're still thinking. We're not telling the name we decide until the baby's born."

The front door creaked with the announcement of another arrival. "Hello?" sang an elderly voice.

"Nana!" Victoria cried when an old lady walked in. Victoria hugged the woman. A young, tall woman and another man followed the woman. Spencer was introduced to Daphne Parker, Gemma's mother. It suddenly occurred to Spencer that everyone bore the last name Parker, Gemma's maiden name.

"Why is everyone Parker?" Spencer asked aloud.

"We all changed our last names on our eighteenth birthdays after our parents divorced." Brett answered.

"Jason still has our dad's last name." said Victoria quietly.

"Oh," said Spencer. He had kept the name Reid after his parents separated. Although, his parents had been amicable.

"No need to keep that wretched man's name." said Daphne bitterly.

"I'm Alice, by the way," said the tall young woman behind Daphne. She shook Spencer's hand. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes like Victoria, but her lips were thinner than Victoria's. She had a less curvaceous figure, too. She more tall and lanky like Jason. The man at her side was tall, with reddish blonde hair and blue eyes. He grinned good-naturedly.

"Sammy," said the man, shaking Spencer's hand.

"I'm Spencer," said Spencer.

"Are you and Victoria going steady?" Daphne asked, peering at Spencer over her glasses, which were perched on the end of her nose.

"No, Nana," said Victoria. Spencer pursed his lips. He'd love to call Victoria his girlfriend. He loved being her friend. But Victoria needed to be ready. And he respected her enough to wait.

After some small talk, lunch was served. The adults sat at one table while the children sat at the other. Everyone had loads of food piled on their plates. After a short prayer, the family dug into their meal, enjoying the turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad and garlic bread. Spencer hadn't had a true Thanksgiving meal in a long time. It was nice.

After a while, the conversation drifted to the past. "Remember that time I locked you out of the house and then you punched through that window and grabbed my hair?" Victoria said to Brett.

The blonde man grinned. "You were the little shit who locked me out!"

"Because you kicked me in the head!" Victoria protested.

"I was demonstrating my Kung Fu skills," said Brett.

"Yeah, you kicked me twice." said Victoria.

"I got better," Brett retorted.

"Yeah, remember when he kicked that kid Greg Benedetto in the head because he was flirting with you?" said Alice.

"Whose side are you on?" Victoria argued.

Spencer grinned listening to the siblings bicker about whose fault the backyard fire had been. After several hours of swapping stories, it came time for Spencer and Victoria to head to Alice's townhouse, where they were staying for the weekend. Spencer carried their bags to the upstairs room. It was the only extra room, so Spencer and Victoria would share. They had lived together for two months before, so sharing a bed didn't seem too awkward. Except for the fact that Spencer loved Victoria, and he would have to keep his distance.

"Spence?" Victoria whispered.

Spencer turned. "Yeah?"

"I-I'm ready," said Victoria. Spencer blinked. "I'm ready to be together, if you still want to."

Spencer stepped toward her. "Of course I do," he said. He cupped her face with his hands. "May I kiss you?"

Victoria grinned. "You may."

Spencer pressed his lips to Victoria's. Finally.


	19. Chapter 19

**_Gatekeeper_**

"I can't believe Benjamin's is closing," said Rossi for the third time that evening. Spencer glanced back at the quaint pub.

"It is too bad," he said. "It's got a lot of history to it."

"Yeah," sighed Rossi. He squinted at Spencer. "So, everyone's dying to know. What's going on between you and Victoria?"

Spencer's lips twisted with a small smile. "We're, uh, pretty good. Um, we're taking it slow, but…"

"You're glad to be together," guessed Rossi. Spencer nodded. Rossi smiled. He clapped Spencer on the back. "If you need any pointers on a romantic outing, you know who to call."

…

"Are you sure you're ready to be back?" Hotch peered at Victoria in concern.

She nodded. "It's been a month and a half. I'm mostly healed."

"You're not cleared to travel yet." said Hotch.

"Hotch, I'm losing my mind not working. I'll stay with Garcia and write my reports… I just want to be back." said Victoria.

Hotch pursed his lips and nodded. "Okay," he said. "You have to work with Garcia until you're cleared for travel. And Cruz wants to have a word with you in his office."

Victoria frowned. "Cruz? S-section chief Cruz?"

"The very same," said Hotch. He smiled slightly. "It's good to have you back, Parker."

Victoria returned the smile. "It's good to be back, sir." She left Hotch's office and headed for Cruz's office. She knocked on the glass door. Cruz looked up from his paperwork and waved her in.

"Agent Parker, it's good to see you again," said Cruz. "Have a seat."

Victoria sank into the chair across from Cruz's desk. "What's this about, sir?"

Cruz smiled. "I've talked with your unit chief over at the Office of Victim Assistance. This is your last year with the team, correct?"

Victoria swallowed. "Yes sir."

Cruz nodded thoughtfully. "So you will need more work, correct?"

"Yes sir," said Victoria, her eyebrows pinching together in confusion.

"I received a call a few days ago. A friend of yours from Interpol has a job for you, if you want it." said Cruz.

"I-Interpol? Why would they request me?" Victoria stammered.

"Your friend, Emily Prentiss, was vague about the nature of the situation. She wants to speak with you about it. However, she did say that her unit will need counseling. If you were to take the job, you'd live in London for eight weeks and counsel her team. It's a great opportunity, Agent Parker." said Cruz.

Victoria let out a long breath. Emily… What in the world would Emily need Victoria for? "I… May I think about it?"

Cruz nodded but pursed his lips. "I would advise you not to turn this offer down, Parker. It's a great opportunity. It'll get your foot in the door for higher positions within the Bureau."

Victoria nodded. "Thank you, sir," she said. "I-I'll let you know as soon as I talk to Prentiss."

She left Cruz's office and headed into the bullpen, feeling a bit dazed, and a little guilty. She did want the job. A chance to live in London and work with Interpol? It wasn't an offer many counselors received. Then again, she had just gotten her life back together. She finally had a healthy relationship with a man…

She sat down at her desk, chewing on her lip absentmindedly. "Hey, Parker!" chirped Morgan.

Victoria looked up and braved a smile. "Hey," she said. She stood and hugged her friend. Blake embraced Victoria with wide smile.

"How are you?" said JJ, hugging Victoria.

"I'm doing well," said Victoria. "Just glad to be out of my house. How was Thanksgiving?"

"Ours was pretty laid back," said JJ. "Just me and my boys this year. My mom's driving here for Christmas, though. How was your Thanksgiving? How's your family?"

"They're great. My brother's wife is pregnant with their fifth child." said Victoria.

JJ flinched slightly. Victoria frowned, but didn't say anything. "Wow," said JJ. She sounded a bit sad. Victoria tilted her head in askance, but JJ just shook her head. Victoria squeezed JJ's arm.

"Talk to me later, okay?" she muttered. JJ inhaled, looking as if she wanted to argue. Then, she nodded.

"Baby V!" squealed Garcia. She rushed over to Victoria and embraced her, swaying slightly. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back."

"Good, because I'll be in the bat cave until I'm cleared to travel." said Victoria.

Garcia grinned. "You're my bitch!"

Victoria shook her head in exasperation. "You're not cleared to travel yet?" said Blake.

Victoria shrugged. "I should be soon," she said. "But… Just a precaution, I guess."

"Hey," said a familiar voice. Spencer strode toward Victoria. She grinned at him. He handed her a café cup. "Tall white mocha with whipped cream."

Victoria raised her eyebrows at him. "What's the occasion?"

"You're back," Spencer said simply. He shrugged. He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "And I love you."

Victoria smiled up at him. "I love you, too."

"Hey, lovebirds," said JJ. She gestured toward Hotch's office.

Victoria and Spencer looked toward Hotch. He waved them toward him. Victoria glanced at Spencer, who grimaced in reply. The two strode into Hotch's office. Hotch gestured for Victoria to shut the door. "Relationships within the Bureau are typically frowned upon, as you well know." he said.

Victoria cringed and glanced at Spencer. "Technically, I'm not on the same team…" Victoria attempted.

Hotch lifted a hand to quell any protests. "I'm not saying the two of you can't have a relationship. But, you do have to sign a waiver saying that your relationship won't interfere in your professional lives. Also, in the event of dangerous situations, the two of you cannot partake in risky behavior and thwart protocol to protect each other. You have to remain professional on and off the field. Understand?"

Victoria let out a long breath. "Yes sir," she said. Spencer nodded beside her. Hotch handed over the waiver. Victoria signed it first, then Spencer.

"Congratulations, you two," said Hotch with a small smile. "Conference room in five."

Victoria grinned and left the office with Spencer. They paused in the hallway. "Well, that…"

Spencer puffed his cheeks out with a stressed sigh. "Yeah… You okay? You seem a bit dazed."

Victoria shrugged. "Yeah, I'm okay. I-I'll tell you later, okay? We have a meeting to attend."

Spencer nodded and the two of them headed for the conference room. Victoria hardly listened to the briefing. She twirled her pen in between her fingers, lost in thought. The team left the conference room. Spencer squeezed Victoria's hand in farewell before heading out to catch his flight. Victoria dialed Emily's number. She bounced her knees, listening to the ring. Victoria hadn't felt the need to call Emily's business number. The two had kept in touch as best they could, considering the time difference and busy schedules.

"Victoria, hey," said Emily's voice on the fourth ring. "Are you back at work?"

"Yeah," said Victoria. "Cruz talked to me today."

"Good," said Emily. "Sorry for the vagueness, but it's a touchy situation."

"W-what do you need me for?" said Victoria.

"There was a mole incident within my unit a few months ago. My team hasn't been quite the same since.I think that my unit could benefit from some counseling. They don't quite trust each other anymore." said Emily.

"Oh," said Victoria. "Why me, though? I'm sure Interpol has counselors."

"They do," said Emily. "But you're my friend and I trust you. I think having someone uninvolved with Interpol might be a good idea. Everyone's on edge."

Victoria inhaled. "Yeah," she said. "Um, what would I do, exactly? When would I head there?"

"Well, as soon as your time with the team ends. You'd come, spend time counseling and observing my unit every day just like you did with the BAU. You'll be here for eight weeks. That's all." said Emily.

Victoria fiddled with her pen. "When do you need to know my answer?"

"Within the next few days," said Emily.

Victoria pursed her lips. "I'll let you know."

"Great. And V?" said Emily.

"Yeah?" Victoria huffed.

"JJ told me about you and Reid. Congratulations." Emily replied.

Victoria smiled to herself. "Thanks."

…

Spencer stared at the unsub, who had a knife to his ex-wife's throat. "Tanner, think about what you're doing! You don't want to hurt the baby after what happened to Jeremy," said Spencer. He glanced at the woman, who squealed in pain. "Ma'am, how frequent are your contractions?"

"They're constant!" screamed the woman.

"This baby's coming now." Spencer muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Morgan.

"Tanner, drop the knife!" said Morgan.

Spencer holstered his gun. "I'm just helping with the baby," Spencer warned the unsub. "Ma'am, I need you to breathe and try and relax. Tanner, this stress isn't good for the baby, drop the knife."

"No!" said Tanner.

Spencer's mind raced with an idea. "Something's wrong," he lied.

"What?" cried the woman.

"The umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's neck! I need something sharp to cut it with!" said Spencer.

"Here," said Tanner, handing Spencer the knife. Morgan grabbed Tanner and dragged the frantic man out of the house.

Spencer turned back to the woman. "Ma'am, your baby is fine, but you need to start pushing."

…

Victoria paced Garcia's office, still deep in thought. "Hey, guess what?" said Garcia.

"Hm?" Victoria replied.

"Your lover boy delivered a baby." said Garcia.

Victoria frowned. "W-what?"

"Yeah," said Garcia, grinning. "Reid totally delivered a baby in the field."

Victoria smiled. "Of course he did," she said. She shook her head.

"We're all going out for drinks later. We're supposed to meet the team at Benjamin's, Rossi's favorite bar." said Garcia, grabbing her coat. She paused. "You okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, yeah I'm good." She pulled on her emerald coat.

The two walked out of the bullpen. "The Bureau's Christmas ball is coming up," said Garcia. "Are you gonna go?"

Victoria shrugged. "Maybe," she said. "I haven't been to a formal dance since high school, though."

"Yeah," said Garcia. "It might be fun, though."

"Yeah," said Victoria. She grinned. "I'd like to wear a gown."

"Maybe make Reid squirm a bit?" Garcia teased.

Victoria laughed. "Penelope!"

"What? I think Reid seeing you in a gown might spice things up!" said Garcia.

Victoria was saved from answering when her phone ring. "I'll see you at the bar, okay?" Victoria said. Garcia waved goodbye and strode toward her car. Victoria slid into her own car and answered her phone. "Em, I haven't decided yet." Victoria sighed.

"Oh, I know," said Emily. "I just thought I might add that I could… train you, sort of."

"Train me?" Victoria questioned.

"You told me a while back that you were interested in profiling. I could help you." said Emily.

Victoria nodded. "I think I want the job, Em. But… I do have to talk to Spence. I've finally got things back together. I want it, but I'm also… I've got some things to sort out, okay?"

"Of course, I understand," said Emily. "But I don't think Reid would mind, either. He'd be supportive of your ambitions, unlike Korey."

"I know," said Victoria. "But… I'm not sure I still want to be a profiler. I like being a counselor. I like being the person people can turn to."

"Okay. Then do it for my unit. I think you could do some good here." said Emily.

Victoria huffed. "Okay. I'll call you tomorrow with my answer."

"Great. Thanks." said Emily. She hung up. Victoria sighed and parked her car. She cracked her knuckles, shut off the engine and grabbed her purse. She headed into the bar. She looked around for the team. She finally found them, gathered in a circle.

"How on earth did you know what to do?" Blake was saying.

"When JJ was pregnant with Henry, I memorized the delivery manual in case she went into labor on the field. I do have to say, the practical application does not quite compare with the theory." said Spencer.

"You were great," said JJ, patting Spencer's back.

Victoria joined the circle. "Wish I could've seen it." she said.

Spencer put an arm around her waist and grinned. Victoria smiled up at him. "What about you, Parker? Ever considered having kids of your own?" Blake asked.

"Oh, I don't know… Maybe one day." said Victoria.

"You don't know? I wanna see little baby blondies running around with dorky glasses." Penelope protested.

Victoria laughed and shrugged. "I don't think I'd be a great mother, honestly. I'm not the nurturing type."

"Are you kidding?" said JJ.

"You're very nurturing in your counseling sessions." said Morgan.

"And you're practically raising your brothers." JJ insisted.

"Part time," said Victoria.

"JJ's right. You do a great job. It takes a lot of patience to raise boys, let alone boys with special needs." said Blake.

Victoria shrugged. "They're high functioning," she said. "But thank you."

"I love you." Spencer murmured in her ear.

Victoria looked up at him. She smiled. "I love you, too."

The bar owner took the stage and called Rossi up for karaoke. Rossi strode onto the stage. "If you think I'm doing this without backup, you're all crazy. JJ, Reid, Garcia, Parker… Get up here!" Rossi said.

Victoria grinned and got on stage with the others. She sang along with the others, laughing at JJ and Spencer's horrible voices. When the song ended, Penelope giggled and grabbed a drink for Victoria. "So, Victoria and I were talking, and we think we should all attend the Christmas ball." said Penelope.

Victoria snorted. "I didn't say that, you did!"

"Shhhh," scolded Penelope.

"There's a ball?" said Blake.

"Yeah," said Penelope. "It's very formal. But we could all get dressed up. It could be fun!"

"I don't know… Balls are so boring." said Morgan.

"I think it might be fun." said Spencer.

"Yeah! We could all be dressed up, and if it's not fun, we can have our own dance party." said Penelope. She winked at Victoria.

Victoria frowned but nodded. "I'm in. I'll go to the ball."

"Me too," said Spencer, shifting slightly.

"Screw it," said JJ. "I'll go, too."

The rest of the team agreed, although some were a bit more reluctant than others.

…

Spencer sighed and sat down on his couch beside Victoria. "Are you going to tell me what was bothering you earlier?" he said.

"Emily called me," said Victoria.

Spencer frowned. "Emily?"

"Yeah," Victoria replied. "To offer me a job."

Spencer stiffened. "A job?"

He glanced at her, waiting for Victoria's response. "This is my last year with the BAU. Emily said she could use my help. Cruz thinks it's a great opportunity for me. Not many FBI counselors get called in by Interpol. My unit chief of OVA thinks I should do it, too."

"It is a great opportunity," said Spencer after a long time. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "You would have to go to London, though."

"Yeah." said Victoria.

"For how long?" Spencer questioned.

"Eight weeks," said Victoria.

Spencer sighed. "Oh."

"I told Emily that I would talk to you about it." Victoria said.

Spencer frowned. "What do you want to do?"

"I… I kind of want to do it," said Victoria. "But I don't want to leave you, either."

Spencer swallowed. "It's a great opportunity," he repeated.

"What do you think I should do?" Victoria queried.

"I think you should do what makes you happy." said Spencer.

Victoria groaned. "That's the worst possible response you could give me," she said. "I need advice, Spencer. I want the job. But I don't want to leave you, either. I love you."

"I'll still be here when you get back," said Spencer. "The job with Interpol won't be."

Victoria's shoulders slumped. "Are you saying that… we should break up?"

Spencer looked at her. "I'm not saying that at all," he said. "I'm saying that there's FaceTime. Skype. There are things to keep us in touch. The job won't be there forever. I will be."

Victoria huffed. "But… I… I love you."

Spencer smiled. "I love you too," he said. "And I'll love you if you go to London or not."

Victoria kissed him. Spencer widened his eyes slightly. He cupped her neck and moved his mouth with hers. He pressed his weight against hers on the couch, lying on top of her but not hurting her. Spencer continued to kiss her until he broke off for air.

"I love you, Spencer." Victoria whispered.

Spencer kissed Victoria's forehead. "I love you too," he said. "Why did you want to talk to me about it first? You don't need my permission to take the job."

"Because we're a partnership," said Victoria. "What I do affects you, too. I-If we're going to be together, then… We can't hide things from each other. We're supposed to work together, right?"

Spencer nodded. "Right," he agreed. "Take the job. I'll miss you, but… we have time. And it won't be forever."

Victoria nodded. "Thank you, Spence."

…

Victoria entered yet another dress shop. "Why is it you want to attend the ball so badly?" she asked.

Garcia grinned wickedly. "I'm the biggest shipper for you and Reid. I want to see the two of you all dressed up and having fun."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "We have fun."

"How so?" said Garcia.

"We like to watch Netflix and chill," said Victoria. She caught Garcia's gleeful gape and shook her head. "Not that kind of Netflix and chill." Victoria insisted.

"Garcia, if they want to take things slow, don't pressure them." said JJ, taking a gown off the rack.

Victoria shot her a grateful look before grabbing a dress. "I like this one," she said.

"Oh, that is pretty. Add this one." said Penelope, shoving a gown into Victoria's arms. Garcia had already purchased her gown. JJ was still looking. Blake had said she already owned a formal gown, but had tagged along.

"Try them on." Blake said.

Victoria shuffled to the dressing room. JJ followed, her own arms full of gowns. Victoria slipped into the first option, a velvet emerald gown. It had long sleeves and a high slit to the upper thigh. It was low cut, too. Victoria peered at it with wide eyes. She stepped out, covering herself slightly. JJ twirled around in a black and gold strapless gown. She smiled at Victoria.

"That's beautiful!" she said.

"Oh, man," said Garcia. "That is sexy."

Victoria glanced down at her protruding cleavage. "I don't know… I don't really have the assets for this…"

"You would drive Reid crazy in that." said Penelope. "You definitely have the assets, girl."

"I don't know…" Victoria said.

"If you're uncomfortable, don't get it." said Blake.

Victoria nodded. She and JJ both returned to their respective dressing rooms. Victoria slipped out of the green gown and pulled on a modest, short-sleeved, red satin gown. It cinched in her waist but her boobs still looked larger than average, even with the high collar. Victoria walked out in the gown. JJ walked out in a gold sequin gown. She looked like a freaking goddess. Victoria felt awkward around JJ. The young mother was tiny, with the body of an athlete. Victoria didn't have a drop athleticism in her DNA. Victoria was a bit shorter than JJ, too. And curvier. Victoria wasn't Marilyn Monroe curvy, either. She was small, but… She didn't feel small. Her skin jiggled a bit when she walked. Sure, she could work out, but… she hated doing that. And she hated watching what she ate even more. Korey had wanted a woman like JJ… Tiny, perfect abs… Beautiful… Victoria shook off her disgruntlement. She knew better than to compare herself to other women.

"I don't know," said Victoria, covering her stomach. "I feel like this doesn't leave much to the imagination."

"So?" said Penelope. "You look great."

"I'm gonna try on the other one." Victoria said.

"O-okay…" said Penelope. She turned to judge JJ's gown while Victoria shuffled back to her dressing room. She stripped of the red gown. She pulled on a flowy periwinkle gown. The bodice was fitted, but the waist flared out in a fluid skirt. The straps were jeweled. The jewels cascaded down into the V neckline. The back of the gown had a strand of jewels running across the back, with one larger one dangling in between her shoulder blades. Victoria stepped out of the dressing room.

"Wow," said Blake. "That is stunning."

"Yeah, that one's my favorite. You look beautiful." said Penelope.

"Victoria, if you don't get that one, I'm going to kill you." said JJ, stepping out. She wore an off the shoulder gray gown with a high slit.

"Jayge, I think that one fits you." said Victoria.

JJ looked at it. "Yeah, I like this one."

Victoria nodded. "I'm ready."

…

Spencer waited for Victoria to show up to the ball with the other ladies. He had ridden with Morgan. Hotch and Rossi had gotten there a bit early. Spencer looked around. He was looking forward to seeing Victoria in her dress. She had been very secretive of it, insisting he couldn't see it until the ball. He was curious.

"Damn, JJ," said Morgan. Spencer raised his eyebrows. JJ did look pretty good. Garcia stunned everyone in a metallic bodice and tulle skirt. Blake looked nice in a black gown. Spencer looked to see Victoria. She looked gorgeous.

"Doesn't Victoria look like a princess?" said Garcia.

"Yeah," said Spencer, taking Victoria's hand. He smiled at her. "Y-you look beautiful."

Victoria grinned up at him. "Thank you," she said. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Let's dance!" said Garcia, dragging Morgan onto the floor.

Spencer and Victoria followed suit. Spencer didn't care that he looked like a total dork. He was just enjoying dancing with his girlfriend. After a few songs, Spencer and Victoria sat down to eat. They slow danced after they ate. Spencer was enjoying himself so much that he didn't realize that they'd been at the ball for a few hours.

Eventually, the others got bored and everyone returned to Rossi's, where the good alcohol was passed around. They played a few games, like Captain Dickhead, which had succeeded in getting Spencer a bit tipsy.

"Okay, truth or dare," said Garcia.

"Oh, no… A child's game?" said Blake.

"It's fun! And we'll bond…" protested Garcia.

"Fine…" said Blake.

"JJ, truth or dare?" said Garcia.

"Truth." replied JJ.

"Okay, Jayge, what's the weirdest pickup line you've ever received?" Garcia asked.

JJ made a face. "Uh, well… It didn't happen to me, but to Emily. Remember when that guy, Brad, said he was an FBI agent?"

"Oh, yeah!" Garcia laughed.

"I had one guy say 'nice dress, but it would look better crumpled up on my floor'." said JJ.

"Ew, gross!" Garcia chuckled.

"Okay, I got one," said Morgan, slurring a bit as he sat up. "Parker, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Victoria chirped.

Morgan grinned. "When did you lose your virginity?"

Victoria didn't blush easily, but Spencer noticed her cheeks flush. "Um… Do I have to answer?"

"Yes," said JJ.

"This is a no judging zone, honey." said Penelope.

Victoria seemed intent on staring at her glass of wine. "Uh, I… uh, haven't. Yet."

There was a brief pause. "WHAT?!" screeched Penelope.

"Parker, you're twenty-nine." pointed out Rossi.

Spencer cringed. He felt bad for her. He was still a virgin, too. He opened his mouth to say so, but Penelope cut him off. "How are you still a virgin?"

Victoria's face was bright red. "I don't know… I mean, I've always kind of wanted to wait until marriage and…"

"And what?" demanded Morgan.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not like you guys! I don't go out and I'm not confident enough to just hook up with people… especially if it's with someone I don't love." said Victoria.

"But… You're pretty. I don't understand how…" said Penelope, shaking her head.

"Thanks…" said Victoria. "But I'm a dork, too. I wear glasses the size of saucers. That's not exactly sexy."

"You look good in glasses, though." said Penelope.

"Or don't wear your glasses." suggested JJ.

"And wander around practically blind? I'd totally wake up next to Shrek or something." said Victoria.

"Go for the sexy librarian look, then," said Penelope. "You always dress so elegantly. Show some damn cleavage for once! You've got nice tits, show 'em off!"

Victoria put her face in her hands. "Oh my gosh…"

"You guys are forgetting that princess ain't single and ready to mingle anymore. She's taken by Pretty Boy." said Morgan.

"Show your tits off for Reid, then!" cried Penelope.

Spencer felt himself go red. "I don't need her to do that." he said quickly.

"Wait, so you and Reid haven't dirtied the sheets yet?" said Morgan.

"Nope," said Victoria. "I… I want to wait…"

"And there's nothing wrong with that," said Blake.

"Cheers," said Hotch, raising his glass.

Victoria and Spencer shot them grateful glances for saving them. Spencer drove Victoria home after a few more awkward questions. Spencer didn't feel well enough to drive all the way to his apartment, so he just drove to Victoria's house and offered to crash on the couch. Victoria insisted he could sleep in the bed with her.

"I'm sorry," said Victoria. Spencer opened his eyes, staring into the darkness of her room.

"For what?" he asked.

"For wanting to wait. I know you may not want to…" Victoria trailed off.

"I don't care," said Spencer. "I am curious… Why do you want to wait?"

Victoria sighed. "A number of reasons," she said. "I was raised Catholic, where they teach no premarital sex. All those sermons kind of freaked me out. And my dad made Tiger Woods look like the Pope. He's a sex addict. I don't want to be like him, you know? I'm afraid that one day, when I actually do have sex, I dunno… I'll snap or something. I'll turn into some raging sexual predator."

Spencer chuckled. "That won't happen."

"And there's something beautiful in waiting," said Victoria after a moment. "It'll be the most precious gift I can ever give to someone. But that's just me. I don't judge those who don't wait. My parents didn't wait. My brother and his wife didn't. She got pregnant before they were married, actually. And sometimes I feel silly for waiting. Because it feels like people think I'm prejudiced or snobby for waiting."

Spencer was quiet for a moment. "I don't think you're prejudiced or snobby. I think it's sweet."

"I just feel like sex is a really beautiful thing, and that people throw it around just because it feels good." Victoria muttered.

Spencer rolled over to spoon Victoria. "Don't feel bad for what you believe in. I've been waiting for someone special, too. I may not have wanted to wait until marriage, but I've been waiting, too. And I'm willing to wait for you."

He felt Victoria freeze. "Are you suggesting marriage, Dr. Reid?"

Spencer laughed slightly. "Not yet," he said. "We're still getting used to all of this. But I do love you. And I'm not going to pressure you into anything you're not ready for. And if and when we get to that stage… Like I said, I'm willing to wait for you."

Victoria was quiet for a long time. "Thank you." she whispered.

"For what?" Spencer asked.

"For not being an asshole." said Victoria.

Spencer smirked. "You're welcome?"

Victoria shifted to kiss his cheek. "Goodnight, Spence."

Spencer squeezed her closer to him. "Goodnight, Victoria."

 **…**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews! I hope you all had great holidays and that 2016 is wonderful! Lemme know what you thought of this chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

**_Rabid_**

Victoria's side screamed in agony. She hated running. It hurt her knees and she felt as if her ribcage would burst. She finally caught up to Spencer, who was doubled over, and Penelope, who was stretching. "Oh you work out? That's cool. I don't." said Spencer.

Victoria breathed a laugh. "I don't either," she said. "I used to, but… Now I just don't have time."

"C'mon, guys! We've got this." Penelope huffed. Her phone beeped.

"Case?" Victoria guessed. Penelope nodded.

"Thank God," said Spencer.

"Let's run to our stuff! Let's go!" said Penelope. Victoria groaned and followed her. They reached the bleachers at the same time. Victoria grabbed her things and headed for the locker room. They didn't have time to shower, so Victoria packed on deodorant and dressed quickly. She wore a blue and white striped button down shirt and a knee length navy skirt. She pulled on a pair of red heels, wincing at the soreness of her muscles. She then pulled her hair up into a messy, braided ponytail. She fixed her makeup and stepped out of the locker room, Penelope close behind her.

"Ugh, I love your outfit," said Penelope.

"Thank you," Victoria chirped. She rummaged through her purse. "Shit. I forgot perfume. You got any?"

"D-do I…? Do I have perfume? Is that a trick question?" Penelope stuttered, feigning offense.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Please," she said, holding her hand out.

"I only have vanilla sugar." Penelope warned.

"It's okay. I love smelling like a cookie." Victoria spritzed herself until she was sure she had covered the stench of sweat.

Spencer stepped out of the men's room. His eyes roved over Victoria before pursing his lips into a small smile. They walked to the elevator as a trio and rode up to the bullpen. They entered the conference room and waited for Garcia to return with case files. Victoria sank into her usual seat beside Spencer. "You smell nice." he said.

Victoria's lips twitched. "Thanks."

The rest of the team joined them. Garcia briefed them on the case. Victoria was finally cleared to travel, so she opted to join the team. She retrieved her go bag from beneath her desk and headed for the jet. She listened to the team brainstorm about the case. She took notes on their focus and interactions. When they landed, Victoria began typing her report while Spencer worked on a geographical profile. Victoria glanced up at him. He was bent over, marking the map where one of the victims had been found.

Victoria smirked. Spencer had a nice butt. She looked away before Spencer caught her staring. Sometimes waiting till marriage sucked.

…

Spencer stretched his leg by holding his foot up with a grimace. "Morgan alert!" Victoria hissed.

Spencer dropped his foot. He looked at Morgan nonchalantly, who raised his eyebrows. "Sore?" he asked.

"No, I do stretches to keep my brain limber." Spencer replied.

Morgan blinked and walked away. Spencer met Victoria's gaze. She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle her snickering. Spencer grinned. He wished he could kiss her. Not even some passionate, suck face session. A peck on the cheek, lips, whatever. Neck… Spencer licked his lips. He knew Victoria wanted to wait. But… Sometimes he was really curious. He had Morgan talk about it. Even JJ had mentioned enjoying sex with Will. Spencer wanted to experience that with Victoria. Spencer wanted to experience that with Victoria. However, they hadn't been dating very long. Only two months. He had loved her for about two years, but actually being in a relationship with her was different. Well, not much. Things felt the same between them. Except now Spencer could kiss her, hold her hand and tell her he loved her… Take her on dates… Spencer frowned. They hadn't been on a true date yet. They'd gone to the Christmas ball together. They'd celebrated Christmas together, too. They'd gone out with the team. But Spencer hadn't taken her to dinner yet. He turned to Victoria.

"Victoria," he said softly. He sat down next to her.

Victoria looked up at him. "Hm?"

Spencer opened his mouth to ask her out, but JJ burst into the room. "There's a woman who just attacked someone at a local coffee shop. She was foaming at the mouth, and sort of matched the description of our missing woman." she announced.

Spencer sighed and got to his feet. "Be careful." Victoria murmured.

Spencer nodded. "I will." he promised. He left the police station.

…

"Hey, Alice," said Victoria.

"What's up, bitch?" Alice cried. Victoria held her phone a few inches away from her ear at the high octave of Alice's tone.

"I'm at work." Victoria replied.

"Boring," Alice sang. "So, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"I have to go to DC for a little baking workshop that I signed up for last month. But, I was wondering if maybe I could extend my trip by a few days and visit you?" Alice's question hung in the air hopefully.

"Yes!" Victoria exclaimed, a smile fanning across her face.

"Really?" Alice sounded taken aback.

"Of course! I've missed you. We didn't really get to catch up over Christmas and Thanksgiving." Victoria said.

"Yeah, too many people. Yay! I'm so excited. The workshop is January fifteenth and sixteenth. I'll either be there late the sixteenth or early the seventeenth!" Alice said.

"Okay! I'm so excited!" Victoria grinned.

"Me too! I can't wait to meet the rest of your team and whatnot. Anyway, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later." Alice replied.

"Okay. Love you." Victoria said.

"Love you too, sis." Alice responded. Victoria hung up, grinning from ear to ear. She hadn't been able to have real sister bonding time in years. She missed Alice. Why the hell had Victoria ever stayed with Korey?

…...

Spencer's heart hammered in his chest as the unsub slammed Morgan around. He had to do something! But what could he do? He couldn't get a good enough shot…

The unsub tasered Morgan for the second time. Spencer holstered his gun and leapt across the table. He tackled the unsub to the floor. His head smacked against something hard on the floor. His vision blurred and something wet and warm slid down his face. Blood. Spencer struggled to sit up, but the unsub drew his fist back and punched Spencer. Morgan hit the unsub with a large and heavy object. Spencer got to his feet and pinned the unsub down with one foot, pointing his gun at the large man.

"Nice tackle, kid." said Morgan.

"Thanks, I've been working out a little bit." Spencer replied, panting. Morgan arrested the unsub. Spencer holstered his gun again.

"Spence, you need to get that checked out." said JJ.

Spencer nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "Will you call Victoria for me?"

"Of course." said JJ.

Spencer nodded and headed for the ambulance, feeling a bit woozy.

…

"What?!" Victoria demanded.

"He's fine, Parker. But he's headed to the hospital to get checked out." JJ replied. Her voice sounded a bit muffled over the phone.

Victoria rubbed her face with her hands. "I'll be right there." Victoria hung up and hurried out of the police station. She asked one of the officers to drive her to the hospital. She hurried ot the floor JJ had texted her and looked around for Spencer.

"Pretty boy, I hope they didn't mess up your face too bad. You know that's your best asset." Morgan's voice floated toward her. Victoria hurried down the hall and found her team gathered round.

"Luckily just dome superficial nicks and bruises." said Spencer. Victoria walked forward. Spencer noticed her and smiled. Victoria withheld herself, remembering not to show public affection. She didn't want the Bureau to fire one of them because of their relationship.

"You okay?" Victoria asked.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah," he said. He pulled Victoria close to him, ignoring protocol. "I'm okay." he murmured in her ear. She nodded against his chest.

She pulled back to examine the damage herself. Just some bruises and cuts. She nodded to herself, believing Spencer. He was okay. "Princess, you should've seen him. You'd have been proud." Morgan said.

"I am proud," replied Victoria. She put an arm around Spencer's waist. She was proud. But she hated getting news of Spencer in danger or hurt.

"You guys ready?" asked JJ.

"Yes," said Spencer. "I've never liked hospitals. Something about the lights."

…

A day full of sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, crunches, jumping jacks, jump rope… It was awful. Victoria wasn't even strong enough to do a pull-up without help.

Spencer felt ready to die by the end of the day. Spencer was worried about Victoria's gunshot wound. It had healed well enough, but Spencer was concerned about the stretching and pulling of it. Spencer felt himself collapse on the ground beside Victoria and Penelope, gasping for breath. "What're you guys doing?" Morgan demanded. "You guys still have the mile to do."

Spencer looked up at Morgan incredulously. There was no way he could run a mile. Not a chance. "I can't," Victoria wheezed.

Morgan chuckled. "All right, all right… I guess I gotta come clean… I've had my fun."

"What… are you… talking about?" Spencer panted.

"I kind of had your fit test waved…" Morgan admitted.

Spencer looked at Victoria and Penelope. "What?" Penelope demanded.

"Think about it. Baby girl, you and V don't go into the field. And pretty boy, you have the hours to make up for it." replied Morgan.

"I'm going to kill him." Garcia whispered.

"If I can manage to lift my arms, I'll hold him down." said Spencer.

"I'll help." Victoria growled.

The three of them staggered to their feet. Morgan backed away, grinning. Victoria, Spencer and Penelope lunged, trying to grab Morgan, who danced out of the way. Penelope managed to trip Morgan up. He somersaulted but Spencer grabbed him and held him down. Victoria, Penelope and Spencer playfully smacked Morgan around, wheezing with laughter. "Okay, okay, dinner's on me!" Morgan laughed.

"Good, asshole," Victoria snapped. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Go get cleaned up," said Morgan, "and think about where you wanna eat."

Spencer started for the locker room. Victoria hung back with Morgan. Frowning, Spencer headed for the showers. What was Victoria doing with Morgan alone? He trusted her, of course. He didn't think anything was going on between them. But… What was Victoria wanting to talk to Morgan about in private?

Spencer hopped into the shower, still thinking about Victoria. With a sinking feeling, he remembered that this was Victoria's last year with the team. In a few short months, Victoria would return to her Office of Victim Assistance unit. No, in a few short months, Victoria would be in London. Spencer sighed as he shut the water off. He dressed into one of the few pairs of jeans he owned and a simple flannel shirt. He rubbed his hair with a towel. He wanted to do something special for Victoria, before she went away. But he wasn't sure what.

He stepped out of the locker room with his stuff. He bumped into Penelope and Morgan in the hallway. Victoria stepped out a few minutes later. She was dressed casually, in jeans, boots and a green sweater. She offered Spencer a tiny smile. They decided on Chili's for dinner. Spencer and Victoria headed for Spencer's car, as they rode to the fit test together that day. Spencer inhaled. "What did you talk to Morgan about?"

"I asked him to give me self-defense lessons." said Victoria as she slid into the passenger seat.

Spencer didn't answer until he had started the car. Did she truly feel unsafe? Was there something scaring her? "Are you okay?"

Victoria glanced at him. Spencer met her gaze, concerned. "Yeah, I just don't want to be helpless."

Spencer swallowed. "You're not. You fought Korey."

"Not successfully," Victoria muttered.

Spencer huffed. He decided to ask the question roiling in his conscious. "D-do you not feel safe with me?" he asked as he merged into the left lane.

"What? Spence, that is not the reason at all. I do feel safe with you. But you won't always be there to protect me." Victoria said.

Spencer nodded. That made sense. "I understand." Spencer parked on the side of Chili's.

"Spencer, look at me," said Victoria. Spencer did as she requested. Hazel eyes met blue. "I do feel safe with you. And I know you would never hurt me like Korey did. But I want to be able to protect myself, just in case you're not around. I love you and I trust you. It has nothing to do with you."

Spencer nodded. He couldn't imagine hurting Victoria like Korey had. "I know. I love you too." He kissed Victoria's cheek. He led the way into the restaurant, holding Victoria's hand tightly. They got a table and waited for Morgan and Garcia to arrive.

At last, the other two showed up. The four of them chatted for a while. "Okay, somewhere you've always wanted to travel. Go!" said Penelope.

"The Bahamas," said Morgan. "Maybe Bora Bora."

"Oh, I like the way you think, my tall glass of chocolate milk." said Penelope.

"Blegh," Victoria teased.

"I don't really like beaches," said Spencer.

"Hm… Anywhere in Europe… Italy is really nice." said Penelope.

"Europe would be nice," Spencer agreed. "Lots of history there. The castles would be fun to visit."

"Yeah," agreed Victoria.

"You haven't said anywhere specific." Morgan pointed out, sipping from his beer, eyeing Victoria.

"It sounds childish," Victoria blushed. "But… I really want to go to Universal Studios… for the Harry Potter stuff."

"Oh, that would be fun! Go to an amusement park… Ride some rides…" Penelope trailed off. "We should do it! It would be so much fun. And I love Harry Potter, too. V, you and I should totally go together!"

"I will hold you to that," Victoria warned. "I want to go one day, and I will. It's just expensive. But apparently, it's better to stay on the campus of the park. You get more for your money that way."

"Let's start saving," said Penelope. "We could totally go this summer."

"Yeah." replied Victoria. She grinned in excitement. Spencer smiled to himself. He knew what he was going to do for Victoria.

….

There was a knock on Victoria's front door. She hurried to answer it. She swung open the door to reveal Alice Parker, a suitcase by her side and a grin plastered to her face. "Hey!" Victoria exclaimed. She hugged her sister tightly.

"Hey yourself!" Alice returned. She stepped inside. "Where are the boys?"

"They are staying over at a friend's this weekend. It's just us." said Victoria.

"And Spencer?" Alice cooed, wiggling her eyebrows.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "He is at his apartment."

"I want to meet your team, weirdo," said Alice. "They seem really cool every time you talk about them."

"They're cool, yeah," said Victoria. "But we finally have a weekend to ourselves. I don't know if they're going to want to hang out."

"Shame," said Alice. "Well, you and I can have some much needed girl time. My toenails are beginning to look like raptor claws."

Victoria laughed. "Trust me, mine too." Her phone rang. She held up a finger to keep Alice quiet.

"Parker?" said Hotch.

"Hotch, hey," said Victoria. "Is there a case?"

"No," said Hotch. "Dave is cooking tonight and invited the team. Interested?"

"Sure," said Victoria. "If my sister can come."

"Of course." said Hotch.

"Great, thanks," said Victoria. She hung up and turned to her sister. "You're in luck. Apparently we all can't get enough of each other. Rossi is cooking tonight."

"Rossi? You're going to have to teach me all of their names before I get there so I don't forget tonight. You know me." said Alice.

"Unfortunately," Victoria teased.

Alice threw a decorative pillow at Victoria. "Bitch."

Victoria smacked the pillow away, giggling. "Come on. Let's get ready."

…

Spencer entered Rossi's mansion and was immediately greeted by the rest of the team. Spencer widened his eyes at the sight of Alice. "Alice, hey," Spencer greeted her. He hugged her. "What are you doing here?"

"She had a baking workshop in DC a few days ago and decided to extend her stay." said Victoria.

"That, and something else…" said Alice. She held up her left hand. Spencer blinked, thinking Alice was flipping Victoria off for a moment. Then he noticed it was her ring finger. And on that finger was an engagement ring.

"Oh my gosh," said Victoria, grinning. "He finally proposed?"

"Yep!" said Alice, beaming.

"Alice, congratulations!" Victoria embraced her sister. Spencer smiled to himself.

"That's one of the reasons I came to visit you," said Alice. "But I also wanted to ask if you would be my maid of honor."

"Of course!" Victoria chirped. She hugged her sister again.

"Oh, a wedding! I love weddings!" said Penelope. "How bout a girls' night tomorrow?"

"I'd love to!" Alice replied.

"V, I love your sister." said Penelope.

Victoria's hand slipped into Spencer's. He glanced at her. He hadn't seen her this happy in a long time. He gave her hand a squeeze. He turned to her. "It seems you have a pretty busy schedule tomorrow. But I'd like to take you to dinner on Sunday, if that's okay." he said.

Victoria looked at him. "Like a date?"

Spencer smiled. "Yes, Victoria. A date." He poked her side playfully.

"Sure," said Victoria. "I'd love to." She kissed his cheek. Spencer grinned.

…

"Okay, that dress is sexy," said JJ.

"Does it look bad?" Victoria asked, looking at herself in the mirror.

"No, it looks great." said JJ.

"Does it show off my pooch?" Victoria pressed.

"Pooch? What pooch?" demanded Penelope. She poked Victoria's stomach. "There's nothing there, weirdo."

Blake laughed. "You look great, Victoria."

"Good thing Reid drove you here. He needs to see you in this dress." said Penelope. Victoria slipped on some heels and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked… good. Penelope had done her makeup. Her eyes were sultry and winged. Her lips were crimson. Her face shimmered in all the right places. JJ had picked out the outfit, a white, slim dress with black triangles on the side, designed to accentuate the hourglass figure she already had (sort of). Her hair was curled and teased thanks to Alice. Blake had sat by, giving her opinion until Victoria, according to the girls, looked fantastic.

"No glasses tonight," said JJ.

"Yeah," agreed Alice. "It really opens up your face when you don't wear them."

"We shall be your eyes tonight, sweetie. You don't need to see to drink and dance." said Penelope.

Victoria laughed and headed out of the bathroom. Spencer was sitting in JJ's living room, reading a book. He turned the page twice before he noticed Victoria was standing there. He looked up and his eyes went wide. "Y-you look… stunning." he stammered.

"Thank you," Victoria peeped. She took off her glasses and walked forward. "I'm not allowed to wear these tonight. I'm entrusting them to you."

Spencer smiled. Well, Victoria wasn't sure. His face was a bit blurry. He took the glasses from her. "I'll guard them with my life," he promised. He stood up and put an arm around Victoria's waist. "You really do look beautiful. And, uh, sexy."

Victoria looked up at him. They were close enough in proximity that she could see him clearly. "Thank you, Spence." she said. Spencer pursed his lips and nodded. He seemed awkward. Victoria grabbed his tie and pulled him closer. "You don't have to be awkward about things like that, Spence."

She heard Spencer swallow. "O-okay."

"We ready?" called JJ, entering the room.

"Oooh, are we interrupting something?" cooed Penelope.

"Nope," said Victoria, letting go of Spencer's tie. Spencer drove JJ's car to the bar with the girls chatting in the backseat.

"Let me know when you guys are ready to be picked up." he said.

"Will do!" called Alice.

Victoria leaned over and kissed Spencer's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Spencer replied. "Have fun."

Victoria jumped out of the car and headed into the club with her friends.

…

Spencer drove to meet Morgan, Rossi and Hotch for dinner. He parked, made sure his phone's volume was up, and entered the restaurant. He found his colleagues already at a table. After they ate, Rossi seemed ready to get down to business.

"What was the purpose of this meeting?" Rossi asked.

"I want to do something special for Victoria," Spencer announced.

"Like what?" Morgan asked.

Spencer smirked and delved into his idea. When he finished, the other men seemed intrigued. "She's leaving the team, but she's still our family. And I think it would be fun for all of us. The reason I'm asking that the whole team go is that there's a group package, which would make it cheaper, especially if we all divide the cost."

"I like the sound of this," said Morgan. "Have you talked to the girls?"

"No," Spencer admitted. "I'm taking Victoria to dinner on Sunday. Maybe you guys could debrief the girls then?"

"Okay," said Hotch. "Talk to us about costs."

Spencer smiled and took a deep breath. "Well…"

…

Victoria was feeling groovy. She didn't care if she was dancing badly or not. She was just having fun. She felt good. The alcohol had relaxed her. She felt more confident, too. Spencer thought she was sexy… She felt sexy. So she was feeling pretty good.

"Hey baby, I like your moves," slurred a male voice.

Victoria rolled her eyes. This guy again? He hadn't left her alone all night. She struggled to remember his name… Brian? Brad? Brandon. That was it. Brandon. "Go away," said Victoria.

"Don't be such a bitch," said Brandon. "You're a hot little thing. Let's get out of here."

"Not interested," said Victoria.

"Move along, buddy," said Alice.

"She's taken!" said Penelope.

JJ hip-bumped Brandon away. "Ugh, that guy won't leave you alone!"

"I know," said Victoria. "It's annoying. Have I led him on?"

"No, trust me," said Penelope.

Alex laughed. "Yeah, you've pretty much let him know that it's not happening. He's just very persistent."

"The dude can't take a hint!" scoffed Alice.

"I gotta pee!" Victoria announced. "I'll be right back." She staggered off to the bathroom, which was down a hall and to the right. She did her business and headed out. Someone grabbed her by the arm. "Hey!" she yelped.

Brandon pinned her up against the wall. "So fucking hot," he growled. "You've been teasing me all night."

Victoria widened her eyes. Brandon forced his lips against hers. Nope. No fucking way. Not again. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember Morgan's tips. Fingernails can be claws. Victoria opened her eyes and scratched Brandon's face.

"Ah, fuck!" he garbled, backing away.

"Stay the hell away from me," Victoria warned.

"What's going on?" JJ asked, rounding the corner.

"This bitch fucking slapped me!" roared Brandon, blood oozing from the scratches on his face.

"You need to back off," said JJ.

"He kissed me!" Victoria panted.

"Okay, we're leaving," said JJ. She took Victoria by the arm and dialed Reid's number.

…

"It sounds reasonable," said Rossi.

Spencer's phone rang. "JJ? You guys ready?"

"Some guy just came onto Victoria," JJ said. "Yeah. We're ready."

"What? What do you mean came onto her? Is she okay?" Spencer rambled.

"She's fine, Spence. Just… Come pick us up, please." said JJ.

"Yeah," Spencer replied. "I'll be right back."

He hurried to pick up the girls. Victoria was quiet the whole drive to the restaurant. Spencer and the girls entered the restaurant to find that Rossi had added a table to the original one. The girls sat down. "What happened?" Morgan asked.

"Some pervert forced himself on Victoria." said JJ.

"He did it like all night! Wouldn't leave her the hell alone." agreed Penelope.

Spencer took Victoria's hand under the table. "You okay?" he murmured.

"Yeah," Victoria croaked. She looked up. "He just… didn't take the hint. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, he grabbed me and kissed me. I got him off me and JJ came to check on me. You guys know the rest."

"You didn't just get him off you," said JJ. "She scratched the hell out of him."

"Yeah, his face was bleeding." giggled Alice.

"Were you flirting with this guy?" Morgan asked.

"No," said Victoria. "At least, I don't think so."

"Trust me, you weren't." said Alex.

"You were a total bitch to him," Penelope assured Victoria. Penelope laughed. "He sat down and asked if he could buy Victoria a drink, and she goes 'did it hurt?' and he said, 'when I fell from heaven? No' and Victoria said, 'no, when you fell from the asshole tree and hit every branch on the way down'."

Spencer smirked. "You said that?"

"I was really mean to him," said Victoria. "All night. Do I just attract assholes?"

"Uh…" Spencer trailed off.

"Reid's not an asshole." pointed out Morgan.

"I didn't mean Spencer," said Victoria. "But I swear, every time I get hit on, it's some jerk like Korey."

Hotch sighed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too," said Spencer. He squeezed Victoria's hand again. She squeezed back.

…

Victoria glanced at her low-cut, black lace dress. She looked decent enough. Alice had done her hair and makeup. Spencer had arrived already, and was waiting in her living room. Their first official date. Victoria smiled to herself. She wasn't nervous. Just… looking forward to some alone time with Spencer.

She walked out, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor. Spencer was already standing, his hands deep in his pockets. He wore jeans, which was an uncommon sight, Converses, a blue and white gingham shirt with a blue pullover sweater on top. He looked handsome. He looked really good in jeans. Victoria stepped up to him. "You look nice." she said.

Spencer smiled. "So do you," he said. "Ready?"

Victoria nodded. She took his hand and the two walked out to his car. Spencer hadn't told her where they were going. Spencer drove along the countryside, hopped on I-95 and drove to Dumfries road, where a quaint little Italian restaurant called Giorgio's waited. Victoria smiled. Spencer knew her love for pasta was unreal. They walked inside and requested a table for two.

"Is this okay?" Spencer asked.

"It's great," said Victoria. "I've never been here before."

"I know it's not the fanciest…" Spencer trailed off.

Victoria frowned. "I don't need fancy, Spence."

Spencer smiled. "I know," he said. "I'd still like to do nice things for you."

Victoria couldn't fight the smile toying with her lips. "This is really sweet."

Spencer looked pleased with himself. "Are you okay? I mean, since last night…"

"Yeah," said Victoria, shrugging. "I'm just glad I wasn't too drunk to fight back."

Spencer nodded. "Me too," he muttered. He was quiet for a bit while Victoria looked over the menu. "W-was it awkward for me to call you sexy?"

Victoria raised her gaze to meet Spencer's slowly. "No," she said. "I'm not against sex, Spencer. I'm just… not ready for it yet. It doesn't mean that I don't want to have sex with you, it just means I'm not quite ready yet."

Spencer's eyebrows shot up. "Y-you want to… to have sex with me?"

Victoria smiled slightly. "Yeah…"

One corner of Spencer's mouth pulled up into half-smile. "It's just… no one has ever really expressed that to me before."

Victoria shrugged. "I'm not hiding anything, Spence," she said. "I love you. And yeah, one day I do. I've never really been good with physical intimacy. I used to have anxiety attacks about it. Especially with Korey, pressuring me about it constantly."

Spencer nodded. "I understand," he murmured. "I haven't ever… Well, I don't really have experience with it, either."

Victoria bit her lip. "That's okay. At least we won't be comparing each other to past lovers."

"That's true," said Spencer. The waitress came by to take their drink orders. After a glass of wine, Victoria was feeling a bit more confident.

"I was checking your butt out on the last case." she blurted.

Spencer choked on his red wine. He chuckled, setting down his glass. "W-what?"

"I did," said Victoria, giggling. "You were bent over doing your map stuff and I… yep."

Spencer raised his eyebrows, grinning. Before he got a chance to answer, the waitress stopped by to take their orders. Victoria and Spencer continued talking, him about some philosophy and her playing devil's advocate to the best of her ability. Victoria was pretty good with philosophy. She liked it because there were no right or wrong answers. With philosophy, one could theorize and think and analyze and imagine, but you were only as close to the answer as the person next to you. So Spencer and Victoria were on even ground, but different opinions whetted each other's thoughts.

Victoria and Spencer went back to his apartment to watch a movie. Victoria kicked off her heels and climbed on the couch. They settled for 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall.' Victoria curled up next to Spencer. He put his arms around her and stretched out his legs. There were a few sex scenes in the movie. Nothing explicit, but enough to send Victoria's mind racing. She craned her neck back to look at Spencer. He looked at her. Victoria kissed his lips, softly at first. But Spencer delved deeper into the kiss. He moved his mouth against Victoria's, sucking on her bottom lip and cupping her face. Victoria broke off the kiss only so she could straddle him. Spencer's hands roamed over back and sides. Victoria leaned down to kiss his neck. He tensed. Victoria pulled back.

"Do you want me to stop?" she whispered.

"No," Spencer murmured. "It just felt… good."

Victoria smiled and leaned down to kiss his neck some more. Spencer sighed, relaxing a bit. He rolled on top of her so that he could kiss along Victoria's jaw and down her throat. It tickled a bit, but it was a good tickle. She ran her fingers through Spencer's hair. She moved her hands down his chest and to the waistband of his jeans. Spencer tensed.

"We should stop." he breathed.

Victoria sighed. "Okay."

Spencer rubbed his thumb across Victoria's cheek. "I love you."

Victoria kissed him chastely. "I love you, too."

 **…**

 **Thank you all so much for the reviews! I'm saying for future chapters that I do NOT write smut. Sorry for those of you who want it, but… I just ain't my forte. I usually sort of imply things… Anyway, let me know what you guys thought, please!**


	21. Chapter 21

**_Angels and Demons_**

"How's the case going?" Victoria asked.

Spencer sighed over the phone. "The prostitutes are terrified and don't really want to talk. The cops here are overly enthusiastic. There's no coroner, either. I'm having to look at the bodies myself and try to determine COD."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "Wow. Well, you just earned yourself a good review in my report."

Spencer chuckled. "I thought as your boyfriend that I already earned an unlimited amount of good reviews?"

Victoria grinned. "Sorry, handsome. I can't be biased. In fact, I have to be a bit harsher on you than the others."

"Does your boss know?" Spencer asked.

"I'm not sure. I feel like he would've pulled me off the case if he knew. I'm too invested in the team. There's no way I can't be biased." Victoria replied.

"Well, it is your last year." said Spencer.

"Yeah," Victoria's heart sank. "My last case, too."

Spencer was quiet for a moment. "This is your last case?"

"Well, I might could do another before summer vacation… But I'm not sure. I have to pack my stuff up, meet with Cramer and Cruz one last time, and meet with my boss… There's just a lot of cleaning up I have to do." Victoria explained.

Spencer sighed. "I understand. I just can't believe you're leaving. I thought maybe we could get you to stay on…"

Victoria smiled sadly. "I know. But you guys are fine. You don't need me anymore."

"Don't say that," Spencer scolded. "You mean more to this team than you realize. You're part of the team, Victoria."

"I know," said Victoria. "I meant that the higher powers think you guys don't need me. You guys have proved yourselves. You don't need a babysitter anymore."

"I'll miss you." Spencer murmured.

"I'll miss you, too," said Victoria. "But you'll still see me. I can always come up to the bullpen for a visit."

"And we're together now," Spencer yawned.

Victoria laughed. "All right, I'll let you get to sleep."

"Okay," Spencer said. "I'll talk to you when I can."

"I love you," Victoria said.

"I love you too," Spencer said. He sounded like he was smiling. Victoria hung up. She didn't want to leave the team. But what other choice was there?

…

Spencer called Victoria as he exited the station. "We're about to make an arrest. Just wanted you to know." he said.

"Okay, be safe." said Victoria.

"I will," Spencer promised. He hung up and got into the back of the SUV. He dialed the preacher's number. No answer. He tried again. No answer. "Preacher's not answering." he announced.

"Keep trying. We need to tell him that we know he didn't do this." said Blake. Spencer tried again until they reached the Mexican restaurant where the preacher was holed up inside.

"He's been in there a good five minutes." said the sheriff.

"How many exits are there?" asked Blake.

"Two. Question is, is he alone?" said the sheriff.

"I've got movement! We should go in." said one of the cops, eyeing the restaurant.

"We're better off establishing a perimeter first." said Spencer.

"Right. Let's go-!" The sheriff was cut short by gunfire erupting from the restaurant. The sheriff fell back, blood spurting from his chest. Spencer ducked and took cover, thinking Blake was right behind him. He crouched behind the ajar door of a patrol car. The gunfire shattered the glass of the windows on the cars and restaurant. Spencer noticed Blake desperately trying to drag the cop back. Spencer glanced up. The preacher's rain of bullets were showering toward Blake.

"Blake!" Spencer yelled, running out from behind his cover. He grabbed Blake by the waist to get her moving.

Pain seared through his neck and knocked him off his feet. He collapsed to the ground. His vision blurred and the sound of gunfire sounded distant. Victoria… He hadn't been able to tell her he loved her… He was vaguely aware of being dragged back and put into a sitting position. He touched his neck and looked at the blood, his focus fading in and out on a figure walking past.

"We need a medic now! There's too much blood!" Blake's voice brought Spencer's attention back. "Hey, you're doing great."

Spencer attempted to smile. "Vi… Vi…" His vision faded.

"Eyes on me… No, no! Ethan, Ethan! Open your eyes." Blake yelled. Spencer tried to do as she said, but sleep was just too tempting…

…

"Your lodging will be taken care of, V." said Emily.

Victoria widened her eyes, her phone pressed to her ear. "This sounds too good to be true."

"Trust me, you'll be doing a lot of work. But I'm not trying to make your life miserable." said Emily.

Victoria smiled. "I'm excited to get started. Hey, I gotta go."

"Okay. Talk to you later." said Emily.

Victoria hung up. She headed for Garcia's office. Instead, she ran into Garcia in the hall. "Hey, what's up?" Victoria laughed. Her humor faded when she tear streaks on Garcia's face. "Penelope, what's wrong?" Victoria demanded.

"I-it's Reid. Something happened to him." Penelope sobbed.

"What?" Victoria asked, her face draining of color.

"He was shot," said Penelope. She sniffled. "I don't know any other details, other than he's on his way to the hospital."

Victoria's throat felt dry. She swallowed. "We have to get there. Now."

…

"It sounded like a tea kettle… Do you hear it?" Spencer muttered. He gazed up at the light above him.

"What?" Morgan replied.

Spencer kept his eyes open. "V… V…" Victoria would never forgive him if he died… He needed to stay alive… He had plans for the summer… Future…

…

"You know Spence wants kids? Can you imagine him as a dad?" JJ said.

"That'd be the luckiest kid in the world," said Blake. Victoria closed her eyes before walking into view of the other agents. Spencer wanted kids? They hadn't talked much about their future together… What if Spencer never got that chance? Could Victoria give him that one day? What if Spencer didn't pull through?

Victoria's stomach writhed. No. He would. He had to. She couldn't lose him. JJ stood and hugged Victoria. "He's in surgery." JJ murmured.

Victoria nodded, letting tears slip down her cheeks. JJ rubbed Victoria's back reassuringly. They pulled apart. JJ offered Victoria a small smile. "Excuse me, agents? Agent Morgan is awake." said a nurse.

"Thank you," said JJ.

"I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind." said Blake.

"Me too." Victoria croaked.

JJ and Garcia nodded. "Hey, I'll be right back." Garcia said. She and JJ shuffled off.

Victoria sank into JJ's empty chair. "W-where was he shot?"

"I think the bullet grazed his neck," said Blake. "But there was too much blood to really tell."

Victoria glanced at Blake's hands. There were specks of blood on them, in places where she had missed washing. Spencer's blood. Blake had been there for Spencer. Victoria put her face in her hands. "I should've been there."

"You're not allowed in the field," said Blake. "Even if you had been here, you wouldn't have been able to be with him when this happened."

Victoria looked up, tears fresh in her eyes. "What if he doesn't make it?"

Blake pursed her lips. She reached across and took Victoria's hands in hers. "I don't know."

"Excuse me," said a nurse. "Are you here for Agent Reid?"

Victoria jumped up. "Yes."

"He's in recovery. The bullet just barely missed the carotid artery on the right side. It's a miracle he's alive. But he'll be okay." said the nurse.

Victoria sighed with relief. She and Blake hurried to Spencer's room. Blake stopped to fetch Garcia. Victoria ventured onward to Spencer. He was asleep, but he was alive. That was all that mattered. Victoria pulled up a chair and sat next to him. She placed a hand on the arm that housed an IV. She ran her thumb over his skin. "You scared me." she whispered. Spencer continued to sleep. Victoria's eyes filled with tears. She jumped, feeling a hand on her back.

"It's just me," said Penelope. She reached into her bag and withdrew some Dr. Who figurines. She placed them on the tray in front of Spencer. "It'll be great when he wakes up and these are the first things he sees."

"The good doctor always makes him happy." said Blake.

Victoria didn't say anything. She just gripped Spencer's hand. Tears dropped down her cheeks. He was okay. He was going to be okay.

…...

Spencer's eyelids slid open. His right hand was gripped tightly by someone. He glanced to see Victoria. She had been crying. He smiled. "Hey." he croaked.

"Hey." Victoria murmured. He looked around. Dr. Who figurines. Blake.

"We'll go get you something to eat." said Penelope's voice. Spencer looked at her. Penelope grabbed Victoria by the arm and led her out. Spencer got the feeling that Victoria hadn't moved from that chair for a while.

Spencer looked at Blake. "It wasn't your fault." he said.

Blake pursed her lips. "I shouldn't have been so reckless."

"You were doing your job," Spencer argued. "You don't have to blame yourself for that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Blake chuckled. "Don't let Parker hear you say that," she said. "She was pretty upset."

Spencer sighed. "How long was I out?"

"A few hours," said Blake.

"Has Victoria eaten or slept?" Spencer asked.

"No." Blake replied. "She loves you. This really upset her."

"I… I kept thinking of her," Spencer admitted. "I kept thinking that I needed to pull through, for her."

"Tell her that," said Blake. "She needs to hear it."

…

"He needs the calories," Penelope said into the phone. Victoria hurried back to Spencer's room. Blake and Spencer were talking about Halloween costumes. "Tell Blake that you're okay. The team needs her." said Penelope.

"Go help the team," said Spencer with a smile.

"I can see you're in good hands here. I'm outta here." said Blake. She patted Spencer's hand and squeezed Victoria's arm before heading out.

Victoria wiped her eyes and sat down. "We got you Jell-O."

"My favorite," Spencer said, pushing himself upright. Victoria set the container of red Jell-O on the tray in front of him.

"I will be right back," Penelope chirped. She left the room. Victoria looked at Spencer. His brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Victoria breathed a laugh. "You just got shot in the neck, and you're asking me what's wrong? Spencer, I could've lost you. I was so scared…" She trailed off, tears threatening to spill over.

Spencer lifted his hand to take Victoria's. "You haven't lost me. I'm okay," he murmured. He took a deep breath. "After I got shot, and Blake was trying to stop the bleeding, all I could think of was you. I kept thinking that if I died, you'd never forgive me."

Victoria managed a small smile. "Which is right," she joked. She sighed. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Thank you for being here," Spencer said. "It means a lot."

"Of course," said Victoria. How could he think she wouldn't be here? "I love you."

"I love you too." Spencer replied.

Garcia reentered the room, set up her laptop and began looking something up for the team. Victoria barely listened to Garcia's phone conversation. "Eat." Victoria barked, giving Spencer his Jell-O. Spencer smirked but obeyed.

"I tracked down Dinah's son. Might get her to talk to JJ." said Garcia. Victoria nodded. She didn't really care about the case. She cared about Spencer. After finishing his Jell-O, Spencer laid back for a nap. Penelope stepped out to get some coffee. Victoria watched Spencer sleep, feeling quite tired herself.

Penelope burst back into the room. She closed the door. "Okay, I did that," she said into the phone. Victoria frowned. What was going on? "Yes, there is. That is not going to be easy… Oh my God, what? No! …Okay." Penelope hung up. "The unsub, Owen McGregor, is here. We need to get Reid in the wheelchair." She rolled it over to the bedside.

Victoria leaned over Spencer. "Spence," she murmured. "Wake up. There's an emergency."

Spencer's eyelids fluttered open. His eyes were unfocused. "Hm?"

"We need to get you in the wheelchair," Victoria told him. She and Penelope helped Spencer out of bed and into the wheelchair. Victoria rolled him out of the room. Penelope pulled the fire alarm, sending the hospital into a frenzy. Victoria and Penelope managed to get Spencer outside, barely losing Owen in the crowd.

…

Spencer laid back in bed. He was so tired. The brief fiasco with Owen had kept Spencer from sleeping. Luckily, Owen had left the hospital. Spencer was back in his hospital bed, ready to catch some sleep. "You okay?" Penelope asked.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." Spencer croaked. Victoria pulled the blankets up for him. He smiled slightly at her.

"Of course you are. Get some sleep," said Penelope. Spencer closed his eyes. "But, how can you sleep? You're in a hospital, where people are always poking you." Spencer forced his eyes open. A male nurse was filling a syringe with medicine. "He had his meds an hour ago." said Penelope.

"Post-op antibiotics." said the nurse.

"He had those, too." said Victoria. She sounded uncomfortable.

Spencer forced himself to focus his heavy eyes to read the label. "Carbenicillin? No, that's not right. I have a severe reaction to beta lactams." he said.

The male nurse looked at Spencer's paperwork. "That's not in your chart." He proceeded to start filling Spencer's IV with the medicine.

"What are you doing?" Spencer demanded. Victoria hurriedly tried to remove the IV from Spencer's arm. Spencer slapped the syringe out of the nurse's hands. As the nurse stooped to pick it up, Spencer noticed something poking out of the back of the nurse's pants. "Guys! He has a gun!" Spencer yelled.

There was a loud bang, and the nurse fell over, a pool of blood gathering around him. Morgan hurried into the room, his gun raised. Spencer glanced to see Garcia holding his gun. "I didn't expect this ringing… My ears don't pop for, like, a week after I fly… If this is like that, it'll drive me bonkers!" Penelope rambled. She was still holding Spencer's gun up. Victoria tugged the weapon from Penelope's hands gently and put it back in Spencer's patient bag.

"Garcia, you saved my life," Spencer murmured. Garcia widened her eyes and her mouth fell open. "Can you hear me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I heard that. That makes it better. Thank you for saying it."

"Thank you for doing it." Spencer replied. He looked at Victoria. "Thank you for removing the IV."

Victoria nodded. "Uhuh." Her voice was higher pitched than usual.

"We're all okay," said Penelope, gently hugging Victoria and Spencer. "Thank God."

Spencer closed his eyes. Penelope pulled away, but Victoria clung to him for a few more seconds. "I love you." he whispered.

"I love you, too." Victoria replied.

…

Victoria drove to Spencer's apartment. He had two weeks off, not including the summer vacation coming up. Since Victoria had Interpol lined up, her boss had given her some time off. So, she was on her way to Spencer's to keep him company. The past few days had been a bit rough. Blake had announced her resignation. And Victoria was going to the BAU for later that day. It would be her last visit to the BAU as its employee. Her last day as one of the team, however unofficially. Victoria wasn't looking forward to it.

She trekked up the stairs to Spencer's apartment. She didn't need to knock. It was unlocked, waiting just for her. She entered the house. "Spence?" she called.

"Here," said Spencer, waving from the couch. Victoria walked into view. Spencer raised his eyebrows at her. "What movie did you bring?"

Victoria revealed _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. "I can't date someone who hasn't at least seen the movies."

Spencer smiled. "Okay," he allowed. Victoria grinned and walked over to the DVR. She put in the movie and padded over to the couch. She laid down beside Spencer. He wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that for the majority of the movie, only moving when Victoria popped popcorn halfway through. Victoria enjoyed watching Spencer's reactions to the film. At some points, he raised his eyebrows. When Hogwarts was first revealed, he seemed in awe. When Quirrel removed his turban to reveal Voldemort, Spencer looked half bewildered, half disgusted. When the credits rolled, Victoria turned to Spencer.

"What'd you think?" she asked.

Spencer looked at her. "I see why you enjoy them so much. It was pretty cool."

Victoria grinned. "I know it's for children, and trust me, that's when I read the books. I'm not some creepy weirdo who read the books in my twenties. But I think they're proof that people can do magic."

"I can do magic," Spencer protested.

Victoria smirked. "Then you should've gone to Hogwarts." She stood.

Spencer frowned. "Are you leaving?"

Victoria looked at her hands. "I have to move my things today."

Spencer lowered his gaze. "Oh."

"I can still visit," Victoria insisted. "And you and I will get to see each other on Fridays, just like we used to."

Spencer nodded. "But you'll be in London soon."

"Not forever," Victoria argued. She sat down beside him. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Let me go with you." Spencer said.

"Okay, but it won't be very much fun." Victoria warned.

Spencer grunted as he got up. Victoria eyed him in concern. Spencer smiled. "I'm okay."

Victoria nodded. She led him out of the apartment and down the stairs. They walked to her car, holding hands. Victoria started her car once they were buckled in. As she turned out of the parking lot, her car let out a strange moan. Spencer glanced at Victoria. She smiled at him. "My car is such an old lady."

"Maybe you should get that checked out," Spencer suggested.

Victoria raised her eyebrows. She turned up her music a bit. She grinned cheekily at Spencer. "Problem solved!" Spencer laughed. Victoria sang along to the song playing, "In My Veins" by Andrew Belle. It was a sweet song. It was one of Victoria's favorites. She caught Spencer staring at her, so she turned the volume down. "What?" she demanded.

Spencer shrugged. "You're cute."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Thanks." She parked her car. Spencer and Victoria walked up to the building and rode the elevator up to the BAU bullpen. Victoria exhaled. The closer she got to the bullpen, the more her heart sank into her stomach. This was it. She was leaving. It had felt as though she would never leave the team, which she was fine with. But now… It was really happening. She was leaving the team.

Spencer and Victoria entered the bullpen. They headed to Victoria's desk. She emptied it of pens, paper and personal items such as a notebook and her work laptop. She packed up the framed photographs of her family. She hadn't kept much at her desk. "Don't you dare leave without saying goodbye!" cried Penelope, hurrying over to Victoria.

Victoria smiled and hugged Penelope. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Parker, come up to the conference room," said Hotch.

Victoria glanced at Spencer and Penelope. They shrugged. Victoria walked up to the conference room, Spencer and Penelope following. "Surprise!" cried Penelope.

There was a cake on the table, but Victoria was more interested in the team members gathered around. JJ, Rossi, Hotch, Penelope, Morgan and Spencer... Victoria was pulled into hug after hug. The family shared a laid back afternoon of cake and chitchat.

"When are we gonna tell her?" demanded Penelope.

Victoria's smile faded. "Tell me what?"

She looked at Spencer, who smirked smugly. "Well, your birthday is coming up, so I wanted to do something nice for you." he said.

"But he couldn't very well do it without all of us," said Penelope.

"What are you talking about?" Victoria asked, looking at her family. Hotch smirked.

"Happy birthday," Spencer said, handing Victoria an envelope. She took it, her eyebrows pinching together. Her birthday wasn't until next month. She opened the envelope and pulled out a brochure for Universal Studios. Victoria stared at it. Did this mean what she thought it meant? She looked up, her mouth hanging open. Spencer kept his focus on the brochure, as if he couldn't bring himself to look Victoria in the eye. His hands were stuffed deep into his pockets. "You said you've always dreamt of visiting the Harry Potter exhibit at Universal Studios. After doing some extensive research with Garcia, we discovered a deal." he said sheepishly.

"We're all going to Universal Studios on our break!" cried Penelope.

"It's adults only, so after a day of riding rides, we can go to the bars." said JJ.

"We'll be staying in the Hard Rock Hotel, which is on the park campus." added Rossi.

"We can literally walk to the theme park." said Morgan.

"We have three days there." said Hotch.

Victoria gaped at them. "I-I can't accept this."

"Don't be stupid, it's for all of us." scolded Penelope.

"Reid's the only one paying for you. We've got ourselves." said Morgan.

"It'll be fun!" JJ insisted.

Victoria looked at her team. "I don't know what to say."

"Thank you is always good," Rossi teased.

Victoria laughed. "Thank you," she said. "I… Thank you!" She looked at Spencer, wide-eyed. He smiled at her.

"You know, kiddo, when you first got here, all I wanted was for you to get the hell out and leave my team alone," said Rossi, patting Victoria on the back. He lowered his gaze. "Now that you're actually leaving…" He inhaled deeply. "Well, I'll miss you, kiddo."

Victoria pursed her lips. She hugged Rossi. She turned to Morgan. He poked his cheek with his tongue. "Parker… When you first started here, I thought you were Strauss's lapdog, here to make our lives miserable. But, uh… I never imagined I'd come to care for you like a sister. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He pulled Victoria into a hug. Her eyes stung.

"Parker," said Hotch. Victoria turned to him. "I'll admit I had similar assumptions about you when you first arrived. But you proved me wrong. You put your career on the line a number of times to protect this team by sassing Senator Cramer," Hotch paused to chuckle. Victoria smiled. Tears were pooling in her eyes now. Hotch's eyes seemed a bit misty. "Over the course of three years, you matured with this team. I'm proud to say that I have had the pleasure of working with you. I'm prouder to say that you are part of this team."

Victoria hugged Hotch. She closed her eyes. Tears leaked through her lashes. She moved on to JJ, who had tears in her eyes. "Just because you're going away doesn't mean you're not part of this family, Victoria. We all love you," JJ said. She pulled Victoria in for a hug. "And thank you for making Spence happy again." JJ whispered.

Victoria withdrew from JJ, tears dripping down her cheeks steadily. Victoria stood in front of Penelope, who was already crying. "When you got here, because of the circumstances, I thought you were trying to hurt my babies. And all I wanted was to protect them. I never imagined you'd join them. You're one of my best friends, V. D-don't let us only see each other on birthdays and holidays, please." Penelope whimpered.

Victoria nodded. "I won't," she promised. She hugged Penelope. She glanced at Spence, whose eyes were rounded like a puppy's. She gripped his hand. There was no need to say goodbye to Spencer. Not yet. Victoria looked at the team. "I never imagined any of this, either. I came here to do a job. I'm so grateful that it became so much more than that. It's been an honor working with all of you."

"See you June twenty-seventh." said Morgan.

"None of you better chicken out on the rides," Victoria threatened.

Morgan laughed. "Princess, I can assure you that I won't."

Victoria grinned. "Good."

After a final round of goodbyes, Victoria grabbed her box of belongings and headed back to her car with Spencer.

 **…**

 **So… Victoria has officially left the BAU… But the story isn't over! Updates might slow down a bit, mainly because I have to watch Season 10 and decide which episodes I'm going to use to set up a proper timeline. Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**_Universal Studios_**

"Guys, the park is open right now. We can go... Unless anyone's jet lagged." Garcia said.

"I'll go," said Victoria.

"Yeah, I'm ready to ride some rides!" Morgan grinned.

"Sure you're not gonna chicken out?" JJ teased.

"Ha, ha," Morgan grumbled.

"I know how to get there," said Spencer, folding up the map.

"Let's go," said Hotch.

The team followed Spencer down a set of stairs, outside and along a long trail. They reached the massive gates of Universal Studios. "The entrance to the twin park is that way," said Spencer, pointing down a busy area full of restaurants and shops. "But we can get there through this park if we ride the train because we have park-to-park passes."

"Okay Pretty Boy," said Morgan. The team decided to explore the closest park first. They hurried inside and through security. "Where's the nearest coaster?" Morgan challenged.

"That way," said Spencer, pointing. Victoria followed Spencer down a wide path. At last they reached the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket. It was a massive crimson coaster. It went straight up, straight down, looped, barrel rolled...

"Oh, man," said Penelope.

"Who's going on this one?" Morgan asked. Penelope, Spencer, Hotch and Rossi backed up. JJ, Will and Victoria stepped forward. "Let's go!" Morgan cried. The four of them charged for the entrance. They skipped the line with their passes and headed up for the loading dock.

"Parker and I are sitting together," Morgan announced.

"Good, I wanna hear Derek Morgan scream like a girl." Victoria scoffed.

"After the ride, and you've screamed the whole time, I'm not ever letting you live it down." Morgan retorted.

"Whatever, loser," Victoria rolled her eyes. They took their seats on a middle row of the cart. Victoria pulled down her lap bar. The lap bar had a screen in the middle to pick a song to listen to. She scrolled through until she found one that she sort of liked. The cart lurched forward until she was riding straight toward the sky. "G L A M, O R OUS!" she sang.

"Are you listening to Fergie?" Morgan called.

"Don't judge!" Victoria cried. The cart reached the top of the peak. Victoria stared down the steep track. "Shit." she muttered. The cart rolled down the slope at such an intense speed, Victoria felt as if her stomach would hurl out of her mouth. She couldn't even scream. Fergie still serenaded Victoria as she looped upside down and around and down and up and around again. Victoria laughed when she heard Morgan let out a string of curses. Finally, the ride stopped. Morgan, Victoria, JJ and Will exited the ride. Their faces were red and their hair (excluding Morgan) was windblown. Victoria skipped away from the ride and scanned the crowd for the others. She noticed Hotch waving at her. She hurried over, her heart still thumping.

"How was it?" Garcia asked.

"Awesome!" Victoria replied. She snickered. "Morgan was screaming the f bomb."

Hotch grinned. "Was he, now?"

Morgan strolled over. "Was I what?"

"Victoria says you were screaming." Spencer chuckled.

Morgan held up his hands. "I was cussing, not screaming. Victoria was over there laughing like a crazy person."

"Because I could hear you!" Victoria protested.

"And she was singing to Fergie," said Morgan.

Victoria laughed. "You pick a song to listen to," she explained. "I chose Glamorous by Fergie," Victoria giggled.

"So while you were up there looping and barrel rolling, you're listening to 'first class, up in the sky'?" Garcia said.

Victoria laughed and nodded. "That's hilarious," said JJ. "Where to next?"

Spencer looked down a path. "Down that way is the Mummy ride. Then there's Transformers and then the Harry Potter section." he answered.

"Let's ride the Mummy." Victoria suggested. "No chickening out!"

She led the way toward the Mummy ride. She paused upon entering the dark building. Her eyes took longer to adjust to sudden darkness than average, so she fell behind Spencer. "I can't see." she explained.

Spencer grinned and took her hand. They wound their way through the dark line until they reached the front.

"Good thing we came early summer," said Penelope. "I have a feeling this place is usually packed."

"Yeah," said Victoria. "Looks like the carts are in rows of four."

Hotch, Morgan, Penelope and Rossi slid into the back row while Victoria, Spencer, JJ and Will took the front. Victoria pulled down her lap bar. After the workers checked the security of the lap bars, the cart lurched forward into a dark tunnel. A narrative spoke over the speakers about the Mummy's curse. The cart cruised down the track into a room decorated with mounds of gold and treasure. "Join me, and you will have riches beyond imagination..." hiss the Mummy's voice. "Oppose me and die!" Animatronic mummy warriors flung up with a blaze of fire. Victoria jumped in surprise.

The cart sped down the track and into a darkly lit room. On a screen in front of them, beetles swarmed. Droplets of water sprinkled on Victoria. She looked around. The cart sped backward. Victoria could hear Penelope and JJ screaming. The cart turned and weaved around, up and down and back into another room, where it screeched to a stop. Victoria leaned forward with the impact. She slammed back against the seat of her chair. She laughed. The room grew extremely hot and the cart sped off again, shooting down steep slopes and turns in utter darkness. At last, the ride came to an end. Victoria giggled as the cart rolled back up to the loading dock. She got off the ride and headed for the exit. She glanced back at Spencer, who was grinning. His hair was messier and more windblown than usual. He looked strange without his slacks and button down and tie. His chin was stubbly. He wore a plain blue and white striped T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. His sneakers still adorned his feet. He frowned at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Victoria. She looked ahead. Spencer looked strange but cute. Spencer took her hand.

"Transformers?" he suggested, gesturing to the grey building that housed the theatric ride **.**

 **…**

"I think it's time we head for Diagonal Alley," said Penelope as they left the Transformers ride.

"Yeah, Parker looks ready to run off by herself." chuckled Morgan.

Spencer led the way to Diagon Alley. They passed a building that looked like a station of sorts. A blast of cool air swept over them as they passed the station. Spencer looked up. It was King's Cross, which housed the train to the other park. He frowned, looking at the buildings. Diagon Alley should be there. But there was a brick wall. Some people were walking around the brick wall. Spencer frowned. Was that the entrance?

"Spence? Is it here?" JJ asked.

Victoria tugged Spencer forward. "Duh," she said. She walked past the brick wall. The sound effects above sounded like bricks scraping against each other. Spencer weaved around another brick wall until they reached an archway. Spencer stepped through the arch. The scraping bricks effects morphed into a magical orchestra. Spencer felt his jaw drop at the sight before him.

A crowded, cobblestone street wound its way toward a massive, leaning, white marble building. Atop the building was an animatronic dragon, it's jaws extended to reveal yellowed fangs. It's grey wings were tattered with pink scars. The rest of the street was lined with buildings. The one to his immediate right had a large metal man tipping his hat above the entrance sign. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes... To his left was a doorway, leading into the Leaky Cauldron. Next to the Leaky Cauldron was a gaping hole that had no lights, labeled Knockturn Alley. It was incredible.

"Whoa," said Garcia. "I've read the books, but... Seeing this makes me want to read them again!"

Spencer looked at Victoria. She looked like a kid at Christmas. Her eyes were bright and a smile had fanned across her face. He squeezed her hand. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I think..." Victoria trailed off. "I think I want some butterbeer."

Spencer frowned. "What?"

Victoria headed into the Leaky Cauldron. Spencer glanced at the team and followed Victoria inside. It was a restaurant. Spencer suddenly realized that he was hungry. He looked at the menu. The food options were mainly British, such as fish and chips and shepherd's pie.

"Good, I'm starving," said Penelope. She looked at Victoria. "You think the butterbeer is any good?"

Victoria pulled a face. "If it's anything like what this place looks like, it should be!"

Spencer and Victoria stepped up to the cashier. They ordered some food and a butterbeer. Spencer opted for water. He paid and shuffled off with their order number to an empty table large enough for the team. "What's butterbeer?" Spencer asked.

Victoria smiled. "It's a drink from the books," she explained. "It's supposed to be really sweet."

JJ and Will joined Victoria and Spencer. The four of them worked small talk until the rest of the team had taken their seats. Their orders filtered in one at a time. Victoria took a sip from her foamy butterbeer. It left a foam mustache on her upper lip. She grinned. "Yep. That is really sweet." she confirmed.

Spencer smirked and reached forward. He took a sip of the drink. It tasted a bit like cream soda, only much sweeter and less carbonated. He raised his eyebrows. It was really good, but too sweet for him. He took a sip of water to wash the butterbeer down. After eating, they all decided to wander through the shops. Spencer walked past a mirror in one of the shops.

"Tuck in your shirt, scruffy!" yelled the mirror. Spencer stared at it. He exchanged a glance with Hotch, who chuckled and shook his head.

Victoria seemed more interested in the knickknacks in the Windows than the actual T-shirts. Finally, Morgan complained that he wanted to ride some more rides. Spencer informed the team that the white marble building, Gringotts, was the entrance to a ride.

Spencer looked around for Victoria, who had struck up a conversation with a man wearing green and silver. Spencer strode over. "Ravenclaw is one of the coolest houses," the guy was saying.

"Oh, thank you. I'm really proud to be a Ravenclaw, although I really like the idea of Slytherin. I might choose to be in Slytherin, but honestly, I don't think I'm cunning enough." Victoria replied. She glanced at Spencer and smiled.

"Well, cunningness isn't the only trait of Slytherin," said the guy.

"That's true," Victoria said. "Hey Spence. This is Peter. He works here."

"Hi," Spencer said, waving slightly at Peter.

"What house are you in?" Peter asked.

"He hasn't taken the quiz," said Victoria. "I'd say he's in Ravenclaw though. Maybe Hufflepuff or Gryffindor."

"Cool," said Peter. "So, Victoria, where are you from?"

"I'm from Quantico, Virginia." Victoria chirped.

"Virginia? You're a long way from home." Peter said.

"Yeah, it was a long drive." Victoria replied.

"Hey!" said Garcia, joining the group. "Morgan wants to ride the Gringotts ride."

"Okay, sure!" Victoria replied.

"Hey, make sure you ask the head goblin a question in Gringotts. He'll answer." Peter said.

"Thanks for letting me know," said Victoria. She, Penelope and Spencer turned away from Peter.

"Victoria?" Peter called. Victoria turned. "Ten points to Ravenclaw."

Victoria turned back, her eyes wide. She stammered a thank you and scurried off. Spencer frowned in confusion. Penelope burst into laughter and hauled Spencer out of the shop, where the team was waiting. "What did that mean?" Spencer asked Penelope.

She wheezed with giggles and took short breaths to calm herself. "That guy was totally hitting on Victoria. That's why I came over. He gave her house points because he thinks she's pretty!"

Spencer frowned. "He was hitting on her? I didn't notice."

"Because you are a genius in many areas but not sexual attraction." said Penelope.

"What did the points mean?" Spencer asked.

"Reid," sighed Garcia.

"Points are awarded to the different houses in the books, mainly for academic reasons. Like ten points for answering a question in class. It's a competition among the houses." Victoria answered.

Penelope snickered. "You didn't realize he was hitting on you, huh?"

"Not until he said that!" Victoria said, shaking her head.

Morgan looked at her. "Whoa, whoa! Some guy was hitting on you?"

"No need to sound so surprised," scoffed Victoria.

Morgan grinned. He held up his hands. "I'm not surprised at all, Parker. I just wanna hear the story."

Victoria relayed the story. Morgan grinned and shook his head. He patted Spencer's back and the group headed for Gringotts.

Spencer gazed at the posters on the walls, warning against theft and all the "dragon-guarded vaults" being occupied. He smirked. He appreciated the detail put into decorating this place. They wound their way through the roped off lines until they entered the main portion of the "bank." Spencer gaped. Three enormous crystal chandeliers graced the ceiling. The floor was patterned marble. On either side of the walkway were mahogany desks. Sitting at the desks were animatronic goblins. Doing bank work. Every so often, they looked up, their beady black eyes squinted in scrutiny, shook their heads and returned to work.

"Wow," JJ breathed. They reached the head goblin at the front desk.

"Ask it a question," Spencer said, nudging Victoria.

She turned to it. The animatronic stared at her. "Will you marry me?" Victoria asked.

The animatronic blinked, shook his head and looked at his paperwork. Morgan laughed. "Guess that's a no."

Victoria scoffed. "Pft, whatever." she said, feigning offense. She stalked down the hall. Spencer grinned and followed her.

"The lines are just as interesting as the rides," said Penelope as they stood before a doorway. It was supposed to be an elevator, but it was only a simulation. They entered yet another room. A red headed man gave them instructions. "Bill Weasley!" Penelope gasped.

Spencer frowned at her. "What?"

"That's Bill Weasley!" Penelope explained, pointing at the redheaded holographic image.

"I'm guessing he's a character?" Spencer guessed.

"Yes," said Penelope and Victoria together. They entered yet another corridor. They were provided with 3D glasses. Victoria put hers on and made a goofy face.

"Sexy," said JJ.

Victoria shrugged. "I try," she said. She grinned as they climbed a staircase. Stalagmites and stalactites protruded from the ground and ceiling. Finally, they were seated on the carts. Spencer put on his glasses and waited for the ride to take off. He glanced at Victoria. She grinned in reply. The cart rattled off with a song from the Harry Potter soundtrack. Spencer gripped the front bar tightly as the cart hurtled down a dark tunnel. They came to an abrupt halt as blinking red light signaled an alarm.

"The defenses have gone off! There must be imposters!" Bill Weasley's voice cried over a speaker. A figure stepped forward. A woman with wild black hair and black clothes stared at Spencer. It was just a hologram, but it looked pretty real to him. "Bellatrix!" gasped Bill Weasley's voice.

"Are those the imposters?" hissed Bellatrix.

"I don't think so ma'am, but I can't be sure." muttered the goblin next to the woman.

"Well let's try and find out, shall we?" cried Bellatrix. She yelled out a spell and hit the cart with blue light. The front of the cart dropped, suspended over a dark abyss. Bellatrix whipped the cart again. This time, the cart soared into the darkness along the track. Spencer let out a yelp. The cart slowed to a stop.

"That was close!" Bill Weasley said on a screen in front of the cart. On the screen, another cart rolled up. This time with none other than Harry Potter and his friends aboard.

"Bill!" Harry yelled.

"Harry, what're you doing here?" Bill replied.

"Look, there's going to be trouble. They know we're imposters." Harry said.

"They set up defenses against us." Hermione added.

"Including trolls! They're brutal!" Ron cried. Their cart dropped them from their seats, dumping them off screen.

A stone giant raised its expressionless head on the screen. The cart started spinning slightly, and then it was off, whirling down the track. The statue came back onto the screen and grabbed the cart for support. Spencer suddenly felt as if he was falling.

Bill Weasley appeared on screen, shouting a spell that halted the cart's descent. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here-" He was cut short by a blast of fire on screen. He yelled a spell, and a jet stream of water shot out of his wand, colliding with the fire in a hiss of steam. Spencer felt actual droplets of water splatter his face. He laughed.

"Bill, get them out of here!" Harry yelled, now atop a dragon.

"This way!" Bill yelled. The cart rolled forward and around a corner, a goblin yelling that they'd be safe in the corridor. The cart turned away from one screen to another. The wall exploded, sending holographic chunks of wall everywhere. A large snake coiled on the front of the car. It snapped, making JJ and Penelope squeal. Spencer flinched. A man's voice hissed and snarled. Out of the shadows stepped a man with porcelain skin and slits for a nose.

"Voldemort!" Penelope cried.

"I know you have seen Harry Potter! They were in your vault, Bellatrix." Voldemort turned to Bellatrix.

She looked at the cart full of the BAU team. "I thought I got rid of you, muggleborns!" she hissed. She whipped the car backwards with a spell. They entered a lava room. Bellatrix and Voldemort materialized.

"How about a dose of pain, to help you remember?" he whispered. He breathed fire. Spencer could actually feel heat, even though the fire was just on a screen. Another blast of fire blocked Voldemort's cloud of flames. Spencer saw Harry Potter and the dragon again. Voldemort and Bellatrix vanished.

"We'll get you out of here!" Harry said.

Hermione yelled out a spell. "Hold on!" Ron warned. The cart lurched forward into the darkness. They soared through the pitch black, around, up and down until the ride ended.

"I hope you'll visit Gringotts again. After all, it is the safest place in the world!" Bill Weasley said.

Spencer chuckled. The cart rolled back to the port, where Spencer and the team exited the ride and headed outside.

"That was so much fun!" Penelope cried.

Spencer looked around. It was already getting dark out. "I think I've had enough for one day. Who's up for dinner?" Rossi said.

"I could eat," said JJ. "There're places through the park or we could go to the Hard Rock Cafe. We get a free night of eating there."

"Free food is the best food!" Penelope chirped.

"Let's go," Morgan grinned. The team swaggered off together. Spencer paused, noticing Victoria hanging back.

"We'll be back first thing tomorrow." Spencer assured her.

Victoria smiled at him. "I know," she said. "This is the greatest present ever, Spence. Thank you."

Spencer shrugged. "It's been fun for me, too." He frowned, hearing a rumbling noise. His first thought was thunder, but no, the noise was definitely resonating from speakers. He looked toward the dragon atop Gringotts. Had it been growling earlier? The growling grew more intense until... BOOM!

A column of actual fire burst from the dragon's mouth with a deafening roar. Spencer jumped back, surprised. Victoria yelped, which morphed into laughter. Spencer breathed a chuckle. "C'mon. Let's catch up with the others." Victoria sang. She grabbed Spencer's hand and led him out of Diagon Alley.

…

The next day, Victoria and her BAU family traveled to the other park via the Hogwarts Express. Victoria could barely contain her excitement as they entered Hogsmeade. The buildings were coated in sparkling, fake snow. Victoria enjoyed looking through the shops, but it was Hogwarts she was really excited for. She practically skipped up to the massive structure of Hogwarts castle. When they entered the structure, Victoria placed her hand on the wall. She was touching Hogwarts. Actually touching it!

"Behold, the rare creature Victoria Parker in her natural habitat," joked Morgan.

Victoria wheeled around and stuck her tongue out at him. She led the way through the line. "Oh, cool!" JJ said.

The portraits talked. They were video images with frames around the edges, but they moved and talked. Four of the portraits were in a heated discussion about Harry Potter and muggles. Victoria looked toward a woman who was talking about ready minds. She felt a grin stretch her cheeks. "Rowena Ravenclaw."

"What?" Rossi said.

"It's Ravenclaw, one of the four founders. She's the founder of my house," said Victoria. She pointed out the other portraits. "That's Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor."

"You are such a dork," Morgan sighed.

"If she were normal, she'd be way less fun," said Garcia.

"Yeah Morgan," Victoria drawled. "Come to the dork side." Victoria giggled at her own Darth Vader impersonation.

Morgan raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes. JJ laughed. "Victoria's had too much sugar."

"No, I'm just not restrained by the FBI's strict rules of appropriate behavior for agents." Victoria said. "And this is really cool."

"Yeah, I haven't really been a fan of Harry Potter, but this makes me wanna read the books. To Henry, of course." Will said.

"It was the first series I ever read on my own." Victoria said.

"Really?" Penelope said. "I thought you were like thirteen when you read them?"

"I was," said Victoria. "But I hated reading as a kid."

"Really?" Spencer said, staring at Victoria incredulously.

Victoria nodded. "My mom and I always had this sort of unspoken suspicion that I may have had ADHD, but we never had me tested because I did fine in school. I just had a lot of trouble paying attention and sitting still, especially whenever I read. I'd read something, and ten pages down the road, I had no idea how I got there. But yeah, reading has always been tough for me. I have to really focus on it. I like it once I do it, it's just a struggle."

Penelope blinked slowly. "I never knew that."

Victoria shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. And I don't really think I have it, because I don't have many of the other symptoms. My doctor just joked that I might have a sprinkle of somethin' and Jason got the rest."

Any responses from the team were cut short, as they had reached the front of the line. The room was dark, with twinkling lights on the black ceiling to appear as if it were reflecting the night sky. One step forward and the floor turned into a conveyer belt, moving chairs for the ride right along. A worker stepped forward. "Four to a chair." he said.

Victoria, Spencer, Hotch and Rossi walked out onto the conveyer belt. They hurried to a chair set. Victoria took off her flip-flops and sat on them, since her feet would dangle from the chair once it was lifted. She pulled the harness down and buckled herself in. She was sandwiched in between Hotch and Spencer. "Hotch, you enjoying yourself?" Victoria asked, peeping through the side of the harness to look at him.

He grinned. "I am, actually. I think I'm going to see if Jack will read the books."

"I love it when I convert people to the Potterdom!" Victoria chirped. The chair lifted off the floor.

The screen before them whirled with green light. Hermione's voice instructed them to hang on tight. Victoria felt the chair turn away from the screen to bring them into a room. Victoria recognized it as the astronomy tower from the films. Harry's voice said something about meeting them outside. Victoria watched as they faced the screen again. Wind buffeted her hair, and the images flew by on the screen. She felt as if she were soaring the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Hey, you lot! Haven't seen a dragon, have you?" said Hagrid as the chair slowed. They took off again. A dragon burst into view on the screen.

"Hagrid!" yelled Harry.

"The dragon!" roared Ron.

The chair flipped backward, away from the screen, keeping Victoria lying on her back, facing the ceiling of an actual structure. Clawing sounds scratched across the wood. Certain parts of the structure glowed, as if it were on fire. The chair moved along the bridged area, the noise of a growling dragon growing louder. The chair turned, righting Victoria and her friends. Victoria stared directly into the face of an animatronic dragon. It opened its mouth, red light blinking around it. It breathed hot air in Victoria's face while a fog machine dispensed red mist.

"Shit!" yelled Rossi.

"Did it get you, Dave?" Hotch chuckled.

"Sort of!" Rossi cried.

Victoria laughed as the chair turned again, this time to a dark and cold room. All around the walls were webs. On the webs were giant, hairy spiders. They were animatronic, but that was beside the point. Victoria hated spiders. She scrunched her toes and clenched her teeth as the chair got a little too close to the beasts in Victoria's opinion. The spiders squirted water at the passengers. Victoria yelped. "You okay?" Spencer cried.

"I hate spiders, I hate spiders, I hate spiders!" Victoria said back.

"Hold on tight! Watch out for the Whomping Willow!" cried Hermione's voice.

The chair turned and laid Victoria and the others flat on their backs again. She stared up at the silhouette of an enormous tree. The branches swung down, the chair barely dodging. Victoria gritted her teeth and pulled her knees closer to her chest. She heard Spencer groan. The chair turned back to a screen, and Victoria relaxed. Harry asked where they'd been while flying to dodge dementors. The chair turned away from the screen, back to the darkness. Lights flashes and fog burst from corners. The grisly skeleton of a basilisk could be seen. Victoria watched as they moved along. An animatronic dementor got uncomfortably close to Spencer and Victoria.

"Expecto Patronum!" yelled Harry. The dementor withdrew, and the chair faced the screen. Harry led them through a crumbling cave, back through the grounds of Hogwarts and to the loading dock.

Victoria, Hotch, Rossi and Spencer waited at the ride entrance for the others, talking animatedly about the ride. Victoria giggled when Spencer said his least favorite part was the tree, since his long legs felt as if they were a little too close. After riding the dragon rollercoaster across from Hogwarts, the BAU agents called it a day.

The next two days were spent in Jurassic Park, Marvel and the cartoon area. The majority of the rides there were water rides. By then end of the last day, Victoria was soaking wet and exhausted. As they trekked back through Diagon Alley at dusk, Victoria couldn't keep her shoulders from slumping. The past few days had made her cheeks and throat sore from laughing so much. This was her family. The idea of going to England all by herself suddenly seemed crazy. But it was too late to back out now.

"You guys go ahead." said Spencer. He grabbed Victoria's hand to stop her from going on. The rest of the team journeyed on, looking tired but content.

Victoria turned to Spencer. "What is it?"

"We're getting dinner one last time. And we're shopping." said Spencer. Victoria smiled.

They ate at the Leaky Cauldron. Victoria ordered a butterbeer again. They listened to a conversation about how the Warner Bros logo at the beginning of each film gradually grew darker. Victoria found it amusing, as did Spencer, so they barely talked at dinner. After dinner, they wandered the shops. Victoria purchased a Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff shirt. Spencer lifted a Ravenclaw shirt, but Victoria shook her head. "Take the quiz." she said, pulling up the Sorting Hat quiz on her phone. She handed Spencer her phone. He sat down on a bench while Victoria got some ice cream (butterbeer flavored for both of them). When she returned with two cones, Spencer glanced up. She handed him his ice cream.

"Thank you," Spencer said. "I got Ravenclaw."

Victoria beamed. "I figured you would," she said. "Let's go get your shirt."

Spencer seemed proud of his Hogwarts House. They walked toward the hotel. "Being here makes me want to be part of this. I think I want to read the books." Spencer murmured.

Victoria looked at him, her eyes brightening. "Really?"

Spencer smiled. "Yeah."

Victoria kissed his cheek. "I can lend you my copies! They have notes in the margins and they're a little beaten up, but that just means they're loved."

Spencer chuckled. He looped his fingers through Victoria's. They walked out of the amusement park and along the path which led to the hotel. "I've had fun." Spencer said.

"Me too," said Victoria. She paused, making sure they were alone. She stopped in her tracks, causing Spencer to halt, too. Victoria looked Spencer in the eyes. "This really was the best gift I've ever received. Thank you."

Spencer looked at the ground. "You're welcome."

"I love you," Victoria said.

Spencer looked up. "I love you, too."

Victoria kissed Spencer's lips. Spencer kissed back. His hands cupped her neck. Although gently, there was a certain urgency in the kiss. Victoria pushed the thought of London out of her mind. She needed to focus on the present. But reigning in her frantic thoughts proved more difficult than desired. Could she really spend six weeks away from her best friend?

 **…**

 **Please review!**


	23. Chapter 23

**_Burn like a Thousand Suns_**

Spencer got up from his seat on the jet and followed Morgan to the back of the aircraft. "Hey, is Garcia all right?" Spencer asked.

Morgan sighed. "Now's not the time, kid."

"Is she sick?" Spencer persisted.

"Depends on your definition of that word." said Morgan.

Spencer frowned. "Morgan…"

"I'll explain later, okay kid?" Morgan snapped.

Spencer blinked. He dipped his head. "Yeah. Okay."

…

Victoria scrambled to answer her phone. "Hello?"

"Hey," said Spencer. "Is now a bad time?"

"No, I was just painting. How's the case going?" said Victoria.

"It's all right," said Spencer. "Have you talked to Garcia recently?"

Victoria frowned. "No. Why?"

"Morgan said that she's visiting the guy who tried to kill us in the hospital. He's on death row." said Spencer.

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Why is she visiting him?"

"She feels responsible for him being there. She doesn't want him to die." said Spencer.

His voice sounded heavy. Victoria's frown deepened. "What else is going on, Spence?"

Spencer sighed. "Morgan thinks Garcia shouldn't have gone. He said that the guy deserves it."

"What'd you say?" Victoria asked.

"I said that Garcia has to watch kitten videos to combat what we see on a daily basis." said Spencer.

Victoria felt the corners of her mouth upturn. "That's true."

"What do you think?" Spencer asked.

Victoria blew out a breath through pursed lips. "Well, I agree with Morgan. That man tried to kill you. If Garcia hadn't shot him, you might be dead. But I also agree with you. Garcia has a gentle soul, I'm not surprised she feels guilty about this."

"I just hope Garcia is okay." said Spencer.

"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "But she'll be okay. She's tough, deep down."

Victoria's phone beeped with another incoming call. "What was that?" Spencer asked.

"Someone's calling me," said Victoria.

"When I get back, can I take you out?" said Spencer. He sounded awkward.

Victoria grinned. "Of course you can."

"All right. I love you." said Spencer.

"I love you too. Be safe." said Victoria.

"I will." Spencer promised.

Victoria hung up and answered the other line. "Emily, do you ever fricking sleep?"

"Nope," Prentiss joked.

Victoria huffed. "What's up?"

"A case came across my desk today. It looks pretty intense, so you're going to have to wait a few weeks before you come." said Emily.

Victoria couldn't help the grin that spread across her cheeks. "Okay. That's fine."

"I'm really sorry about all the confusion." said Emily.

"It's fine," said Victoria. "Just give me a call a week in advance."

"Sure thing." said Emily. She hung up. Victoria's grin was starting to hurt her cheeks, but she didn't care. She had more time with her brothers, her team and Spencer. She hurried to where her brothers were playing video games.

"Come on losers, I'm taking you to dinner." she announced.

"You're a loser." said Seth.

"And you're a dick head." said Jason.

"Aw, that's not very nice." retorted Seth. Jason paused their game.

"I don't care." he said.

"Language, guys," Victoria reminded them. "I don't want to have to start up another swear jar."

"Scientifically, cussing has been known to relieve stress." Seth pointed out. His shoulders twitched with their usual tic.

"And scientifically, overusing the cuss words relieves less and less stress." Victoria retorted.

"Darn it," said Seth. Victoria led her brothers to her car, where they all hopped in.

"Can we play my iPod?" Jason asked.

Victoria scowled. "I guess," she sighed. "As long as you don't play your screamo shit."

"Gee, I wonder where we get the cussing from?" Seth drawled from the back seat.

Victoria flipped him off without even looking back at him. Seth chuckled. Jason plugged in his iPod. "I'm playing something we all like." he announced.

Victoria raised an eyebrow in askance. Then, the intro to Avenged Sevenfold's "A Little Piece of Heaven" began playing. Grinning, Victoria turned up the volume.

…

Spencer had been relieved to hear that Victoria would be staying in the US for a little while longer. He had arrived at Victoria's house around midnight after his case. He found Victoria watching "Marie Antoinette." He plopped down beside Victoria.

"Sorry I'm so late." he murmured.

"It's okay," said Victoria. She sounded tired, as if she'd been waiting for him. Spencer watched the movie in silence. When Marie Antoinette gave birth to her first child, Victoria mumbled, "Do you want kids?"

Spencer blinked. He drew a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. Why do you ask?"

He felt Victoria shrug. "When you got shot, I overhead JJ talking about it in the waiting room. You never told me that before." she answered.

Spencer frowned. "We've never really talked about our future together. I… I wasn't sure if y-you'd want to know about that."

Victoria was quiet for a long time. "Would you… Would you want a future together?"

Spencer shifted to look at her. "Yes. I would."

Victoria's head tilted to look up at him. "Really?"

Spencer half-smiled. "Yes," he replied. "Would you?"

"Of course," Victoria said. "I… I don't want to live my life without you."

"Me neither," Spencer murmured. He smiled. He squeezed her closer to him.

"I leave next week." Victoria murmured. "Emily called while you were on the case."

Spencer fell silent. "When next week?"

"Saturday. My flight leaves at seven in the morning." Victoria whispered.

"Who's taking you to the airport?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know yet. I was hoping you would." Victoria answered.

"Sure," said Spencer. Victoria buried her face in Spencer's chest.

"I'm excited, but I'm also dreading it." she muttered.

"Why are you dreading it?" Spencer queried.

"Because I've never been out of the country and it'll be the longest we've been apart." said Victoria.

"I know," said Spencer. "But we'll be okay."

"Yeah."

…

The next week went by too fast for Victoria. She'd spent every waking moment with her brothers and Spencer. She'd gone to dinner with the girls on the team, promising to Skype and FaceTime. When the night before her flight rolled around, Victoria stayed at Spencer's, as his apartment was closer to the airport than her house. Alice was staying with her brothers. Victoria laid in Spencer's bed, staring at the ceiling. She got out with a sigh and padded into the living room.

"Spence?" she murmured.

"Yeah?" Spencer didn't sound like he'd been sleeping, either.

"Will you… Will you… sleep with me? Not that way, but… I… I can't sleep." said Victoria.

Spencer got off the couch. "Of course."

They crawled into Spencer's bed together. Victoria snuggled closer to Spencer. Sleep was still reluctant to come to her, but it arrived at last.

Too soon, Victoria's alarm beeped. Spencer drove Victoria to the airport in silence. She unpacked her suitcase from Spencer's car and slung a backpack over her shoulder. Spencer got out of the car, his lips pressed together. Victoria gazed up at him. "I love you." she said.

Spencer's Adam's apple bobbed. "I love you, too." he croaked. He pulled her close, burying his face in Victoria's shoulder. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut. Her eyes burned with tears, but she held them back. When she pulled away from Spencer, she noticed his eyes were red, too.

"I'll call you as soon as I land." Victoria promised.

Spencer nodded. "Okay. I love you."

Victoria breathed a laugh. "I love you too."

Spencer grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers. Victoria widened her eyes, then relaxed. Her fingers curled around his neck. His hand cupped her neck and waist. Spencer broke off the kiss, his eyes rounded like a puppy's. Victoria offered him a tiny smile. She grabbed her suitcase and rolled through the threshold of the airport.

 **…**

 **So, Victoria's off for London! The title comes from the second and third episodes of Season 10, "Burn" and "A Thousand Suns." They went perfectly together, I thought. Anyway, let me know what you guys thought! Thank you!**


	24. Chapter 24

**_Interpol's Newest Addition_**

Victoria dropped her bags on the floor, staring around the dismal room. This was her new home… Yay… The carpet was a hideous green, marked with suspicious stains here and there. The couch deplored the living room with its ugly, orange and floral pattern. The walls sported wallpaper decorated with florescent yellow bananas. The window was dirty, outlined with grey curtains. The bedroom had the same wallpaper with a naked bed. There was no window, only a haggard desk. Victoria raised her eyebrows. She sighed and set up her laptop on the stained and scratched desk against the wall. She had called Spencer from the cab and he had told her to set up Skype as soon as she could. Victoria called Spencer on Skype.

The screen exploded with a number of familiar faces shrouded in darkness. "Hey!" cried the fuzzy faces.

"Oh, it's a party! I can't see anybody." Victoria laughed.

"Turn on a light!" hissed a female voice.

A light switched on, illuminating the faces. Victoria's hands flew to cover her gaping mouth at the sight of Kate Callahan, Rossi, Morgan, Hotch, JJ, Penelope and Spencer. "How are you? How's London?" cried Penelope.

Victoria smiled, lowering her hands. "I'm great! A little jet-lagged and tired but otherwise great! I haven't gotten to see much of London. I've only been here a few hours."

"Are you staying in a hotel?" Morgan asked.

Victoria's smile fell. "I wish."

"Are you with Emily?" asked JJ.

"No, Interpol paid for a furnished apartment for me. Or the Bureau. Not sure which." said Victoria.

"Don't tell me you live in a dump." said Morgan.

"Well… To put it nicely… It's a piece of shit." said Victoria.

Morgan chuckled. "This is why I love you, Parker."

"We miss you!" Penelope said, jutting her bottom lip out.

"I miss you guys, too." Victoria returned.

"We're all in the bat cave." said Penelope, gesturing to her lit office.

"I see that," said Victoria. "Did you all just get back from a case?"

"Yeah," chorused JJ and Kate.

"Are you nervous about meeting Emily's team?" Spencer asked.

Victoria shrugged. "Not right now. I will be tomorrow."

They continued to talk, poking fun at Victoria's apartment and theorizing about what the stains could be (much to Victoria's chagrin). After assuring them that she did indeed have her own sheets for the bed, Victoria ended the Skype call. She had an early start.

That morning, Victoria scrambled to find an appropriate outfit. God, how she wished she'd asked Penelope and JJ while they'd been on Skype. She went with a white button down, tucked into a peach midi skirt and matching heels. She styled her hair down but slightly curled, with classy makeup. She pulled on a tan coat and stepped out of her apartment. She locked it and called a taxi.

Her knees bounced the whole drive to Interpol HQ. She had to sit on her hands to resist biting her nails. Her lips pulled into a slight smile when Spencer texted a reassuring message. She typed back a hasty response before stepping out of the cab. After paying, she clacked up to the building. She rode the elevator up to the fifth floor of the glass building. She wandered until she found Emily's unit. Trekking past fancy white desks and cubicles, Victoria found Emily's office and knocked on the door.

"Parker!" cried Emily, swinging the door open.

Victoria grinned as Emily embraced her. "Hey, Prentiss."

"Come in," said Prentiss, stepping aside. She wore a white pantsuit. Victoria sat across from Emily at her desk. "Okay, so I'm going to introduce you to my team. You can get started right away with getting to know them. This is your show."

Victoria dipped her head. "What was the mole's name?"

Emily grimaced. "Florence Walters."

"Okay, thanks," said Victoria. "I won't jump right into that. I'm just focusing on meeting them and having our first session. Then I'll schedule times with you and start observing."

"All right," said Emily. She stood and led Victoria to a conference room with entirely glass walls. "Team, this is SSA Victoria Parker with the FBI. She's going to be counseling all of us for the next few weeks."

Victoria dipped her head to the team with her lips pressed together awkwardly. "I'm Ethan Hemmingway," said a tall man. He looked like a damn movie star. His hair was light brown and his smile dazzled Victoria's eyes. His torso was incredibly muscular, but not in a grotesque bodybuilder way. His eyes were a sparkling blue. He shook Victoria's hand with a grin.

"Reyes Castell," said a man with square glasses, curly dark hair and twinkling dark eyes. He looked Hispanic. Victoria shook his hand.

"I'm Sarah Williams," said a petite woman. She had pale skin, short black hair and green eyes. Her face was round and soft. She didn't look as if she belonged at Interpol. She looked more like a schoolteacher.

"Rhonda Moore," muttered a woman with long black hair pulled into a ponytail. Her eyes were coated in vicious winged eyeliner. She was fairly tall but stick thin. Her legs adorned black jeans and a dark blouse.

Victoria turned to the final woman, a petite woman with a curved nose and olive skin and black hair. She rolled her dark eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm not shaking your hand." she said. Her accent sounded vaguely Indian.

"Our little ray of sunshine," teased Ethan. "Anita Darzi."

Victoria nodded. "Nice to meet all of you. I'll try to make this quick for our first meeting. I'll meet with Castell first."

"N-now?" Castell said.

Victoria nodded. "Mhm."

He shrugged and sat down at the long table. The rest of the team filed out. Ethan winked at Victoria before whisking down the hall to his own office. Victoria blinked, a little confused at Ethan's behavior. She turned to Reyes Castell. He twiddled his thumbs. "I don't know how this works." he admitted.

Victoria shrugged. "That's okay," she assured him. "It's awkward for everyone involved, myself included."

"I'm sure it's not easy, especially when you get reactions like Darzi's." said Castell.

Victoria nodded. "I'm used to it by now. I'm not delving into the nitty gritty just yet, so you can stop wringing your hands."

Reyes glanced down at his writhing hands. "Ah." He pulled his hands off the table.

"Tell me a little bit about yourself, Reyes." Victoria said.

Reyes raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Victoria shrugged. "I like to paint and write. It's a sort of passion of mine."

Reyes blinked. "Well, I like to cook."

"That's great. I like to eat. What do you cook?" Victoria asked.

Reyes's lips twitched. "I'm vegan."

Victoria couldn't help but make a face. "Say no more."

Reyes smiled. "I kind of pegged you for a vegetarian."

"What? Why?" Victoria grinned.

"I dunno, you just look like you might." said Reyes.

"Well, you pegged me wrong, Castell," said Victoria. "I'm a total foodie. And I love steak."

Reyes held up his hands, making a face. "Say no more!"

Victoria cleared him. Her talk with Sarah Williams involved makeup, Ethan basically flirted the entire time and Rhonda hardly said a word (though Victoria got out that Rhonda liked computer games). It was now Anita's turn.

She crossed her arms and raised her dark eyebrows. "You've come here looking to pry, but you're not getting shit out of me. I don't talk with you outsiders."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Emily's my friend."

"You think I care? Just because you're buddies with my boss doesn't mean I'm gonna start spilling my guts to you, bitch. You should take your blonde little ass right back to America, where it belongs." Anita sneered.

Victoria's eyebrows shot up. She stared at Anita calmly. "Well, _bitch_ , I agree I'm an outsider. But the reason I'm here is because an _insider_ fucked everything up for you guys. And you trusted Florence, didn't you? And yet, here we are. The reality is that none of you really trust each other. In fact, I think you're more inclined to trust me than you are to trust your own team members because of one friend's betrayal. But it's not your first betrayal, is it? No, I think someone in your past hurt you… Maybe you're just another girl with daddy issues. News flash, you're not the only one with daddy issues. If you'd like me to stop profiling you, and I can tell that you would, then get your little ass off your high horse and take a chill pill."

Anita blinked, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly. Victoria got up and left the conference room. She entered Emily's office. Prentiss looked up. "How'd it go?" Prentiss asked.

Victoria smiled. "I think it went well."

 **…**

 **It has officially begun! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (sorry it's so short) and let me know what you thought by leaving a review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**_Counseling_**

"So. What's it like in the States?" Ethan asked, leaning back in his chair.

"It's fascinating," Victoria replied flatly.

Ethan smirked. "Of course, you want to talk about me. How I'm feeling, how much I trust my team, etcetera, etcetera. It's not gonna be that easy, love. Don't get me wrong, your pretty face makes me want to trust you." He winked.

Victoria raised her eyebrows, unamused. "Right… Well, the fact that you don't want to talk tells me that you're hurting more than you're letting on."

Ethan grinned. "What did you do with the FBI again?"

"Exactly what I'm doing now," said Victoria. "I had to counsel the BAU team after an agent of theirs died."

"Prentiss," said Ethan. Victoria nodded. "But she wasn't dead."

"Right."

"So how'd that work out?" Ethan queried.

"Well, I had to help the team cope with her return. There was some mistrust." Victoria answered carefully.

"Didn't you stay there for three years?" Ethan asked.

"Yes," said Victoria, "for a long list of reasons that I don't want to go through right now. The point is, I know everyone's feeling it but no one wants to talk about it. I've seen this before. Who is your silence helping? Certainly not you or your team."

Ethan poked his cheek with his tongue. "You're smart," he decided. "Wise. You don't come across young women with a lot of wisdom. Especially not pretty ones."

"So you're still not going to talk about Florence?" Victoria sighed.

"Why should I? There's nothing to talk about. There are a lot of things I'd rather talk about with you than Florence." Ethan eyed Victoria up and down.

Victoria blinked, unfazed. "You cover things up with a lot of bravado, Ethan. You're happy to let people think you don't care and that you're a player. But you do care. You care a lot. And if you had a long term relationship, you wouldn't cheat. I think you more than cared about Florence. You're trying to flirt her out of your mind because she screwed you over, didn't she? You loved her."

Ethan pursed his lips, staring at Victoria's heels. He nodded slowly. "Well, that definitely was a boner killer, love," he muttered. He raised his striking eyes to Victoria's. "You're right. I loved her. And your counseling isn't going to do anything about that and the fact that I can't trust anyone now."

Victoria watched Ethan stand. She inhaled. "My fiancée abused me." she blurted.

Ethan stopped in front of the door. He turned and looked at her. "Come again?"

"My fiancée was abusive," Victoria said. "He would tell me I was fat, ugly and stupid. And I believed him. I let him chew me up and then spit me back out. But I found that I could trust again. I wasn't broken. And neither are you."

Ethan smirked humorlessly. "Did your fiancée put a gun to your head? Tell you he never loved you? Because mine did."

Victoria laughed. "My fiancée kidnapped me, held me in my own barn and tortured me for two days. Then he shot me in the stomach. Claimed he loved me, too. So yeah, I have an idea of what you're going through. You just have to be willing to give this –me –a shot."

"He shot you?" Ethan asked, creeping back to his seat.

"Mhm. Shot me up with dilaudid, too. Attempted to rape me. Twice." Victoria replied.

"Wow," said Ethan. "All right. I'll bite. How do I fix this?"

"You're already starting," said Victoria. "Talk to me. Talk to your team. They're hurting, too."

"Easier said than done." muttered Ethan.

"It always is." Victoria agreed.

…

Victoria waited for Anita to show up for her session. Reyes, Rhonda and Sarah were all busy that day, so Victoria only had to interview Ethan and Anita. Based on Anita's attitude, Victoria wouldn't be surprised if the woman didn't show up. But, the petite exotic woman entered the room and plopped down in the chair across from Victoria, who waited patiently for Anita to speak.

"You can sit there and stare at me all you like, I'm not saying a word. I don't trust you. I don't even like you." Anita said at last.

Victoria smiled. "You're already talking to me, Anita."

Anita snorted. "And what are you getting out of this, _Special Agent Parker_?"

"You've got a lot of rage pent up. You and Florence were close, weren't you?" Victoria replied.

"Of course we were close! She and I were partners in the field!" Anita snapped.

"So her betrayal hit you pretty hard, huh?" Victoria prompted. Anita didn't answer. Victoria shrugged. "You made the arrest, correct?" she continued. Again, Anita held her tongue. Victoria scribbled down a note. She opened up Anita's file. "You don't mind if I read this, do you?" Victoria asked. Anita remained silent, but her eyes rounded. "Anita Darzi, daughter of Julia Saunters-Darzi and Kunyaal Darzi. Julia and Kunyaal divorced in 2003, after multiple accounts of domestic violence. Looks like you were a victim, too."

"Stop," snapped Anita. Victoria closed the file and looked at Anita expectantly. "You think that digging into my personal life will make me want to talk to you? It only pisses me off!"

Victoria pursed her lips. "Anita, I've already read your file. It's part of my job. Especially since you're not making this easy."

"Why would I? I don't know you. You can't just come in and pretend to know me or pry into my personal life." Anita snarled.

Victoria held up her hands. "I get it. Look, it makes sense that you're angry and mistrustful. I would be, too. In fact, I used to be. Talking helps. So does time. I'm living proof."

"What the hell are you on about?" Anita snapped.

"I know your pain." Victoria murmured.

"What would you know of my pain, Parker?" Anita scoffed.

Victoria's smile was sad. "More than I'd like."

"See? Even you don't want to open to me, a stranger." said Anita.

"Fine. I will. My father was abusive, but different than yours. You see, mine was sexually abusive. So don't be an asshole and act like you're the only one who's been hurt in this life." Victoria snapped.

Anita crossed her arms. "How'd you even get a job? Most counselors don't insult their patients."

"I'm not most counselors." replied Victoria.

Anita lowered her gaze. "Have you ever had a friend betray you?"

"Not like yours betrayed you."

"Then you can't understand my pain," snapped Anita, getting to her feet. "Your time's up."

 **…**

 **I am so sorry for the late update and short chapter! I've been feeling really discouraged about writing lately, this semester at school is murdering me and a loved one just died of cancer… So I've got a lot of crap on my plate. Thanks for the reviews I've gotten thus far, please continue to do so. I'll try to post again as soon as possible, I'm just trying to get out of this funk I'm in.**


	26. Chapter 26

**_Nelson's Sparrow_**

"Wow. This place straight up sucks." Emily said, looking around Victoria's apartment.

"I've stayed in motels in worse condition," Victoria said, shrugging. "Besides, you should've seen this place before I cleaned it up and added my own flair to it."

"I can only imagine," said Emily, her face wrinkling in disgust. "You ready?"

"Yep," Victoria chirped. "I like your shirt, by the way."

Emily glanced down at her crimson top. "Thanks. Online shopping is the best. I like your dress."

"Is it too much?" Victoria asked, looking down at it. The sequin, emerald dress was definitely eye-catching, but Emily had said the place they were going to required more formal attire.

"No, it's great. Let's go. Sarah, Anita and Rhonda are waiting in the car." said Emily.

"Okay," Victoria replied. She grabbed her handbag and hurried out of her apartment with Emily. Two weeks had passed since Victoria's arrival, and Emily's team was really starting to warm up to her. Well, Anita still had her issues, but at least she wasn't being an outright bitch anymore. Rhonda was shy, but after Victoria had promised to help set the raven-haired techie up with Reyes, she opened up. Sarah was still ever so friendly, always happy to help. Victoria was really enjoying herself with Emily's team. All of them, Anita included, were really intriguing people. They'd gone out to dinner every night since Victoria's first sessions with the team. It was a team-building exercise. Victoria had only initially planned on maybe three dinners, but the team was now initiating it themselves. It was becoming a tradition.

Victoria took a selfie with Sarah, Emily, Rhonda and Anita and then sent it to Spencer, just to let him know she was okay. She knew he was probably asleep, but she still wanted to make sure he knew she hadn't forgotten about him. Once they arrived at the club, the girls shuffled inside and looked for Ethan and Reyes. They found them on the other side with a tall table and barstools. "Drinks are on us, ladies!" Ethan announced, passing out shot glasses. His eyes roved over Victoria. "You are looking stunning, m'lady."

Victoria rolled her eyes. She accepted the glass and took a swig of tequila. The alcohol burned her throat and reminded her vaguely of vomit. She gagged and ordered herself a weaker, fruitier drink. "I forgot how much I hate tequila by itself."

"Come on, can't hold your alcohol?" Ethan teased.

"No!" Victoria laughed. She felt herself being ushered onto the dance floor. Ethan rocked his hips and drew her close. Victoria hopped away, giggling as she bumped into Emily. "I think Ethan is trying to dry-hump my leg!" Victoria announced.

"Need me to swat him off?" Emily asked, swaying to the beat.

"No, I can handle it." Victoria replied. She wasn't going to lie, she was flattered that such an attractive guy like Ethan was hitting on her. But she loved Spencer. Victoria rocked to the beat, laughing at her own horrible dancing skills. Her smile faded when she noticed Anita sitting all by herself at the bar. Victoria left the dance floor and sat beside her.

"Go away." Anita muttered.

"Hi! How are you? Goo? I'm great, thanks for asking." Victoria replied sarcastically.

Anita scowled. "I'm not playing your little team building game of party the night away."

"I'm not asking you to," said Victoria, "I just thought you looked a bit lonely over here."

"Well, I'm not, so you can leave." Anita replied.

"I think I'll stay. I'm not really fit for a dance floor, if you know what I mean." Victoria argued.

"What do you want, Parker?" Anita hissed.

Victoria looked at her. "To help," she said. Anita rolled her eyes. "I'm hoping that we can be friends."

"Do you ever give up?" Anita snapped.

"Nope," Victoria chirped.

"Well, you should." sneered Anita. She got up and left the bar, disappearing into the crowd. Victoria sighed, watching her go.

"Two shots of tequila," said a voice. Victoria turned to see Emily slide into Anita's empty seat. "She giving you a hard time?"

"Oh no, we were having a grand old time." Victoria muttered.

Emily swigged her shot and grimaced. "She'll come around."

"I don't know," Victoria grumbled, "she's wounding my ego." She drained her glass. The fiery beverage seared her throat again. Victoria shuddered.

"Do you even have an ego?" Emily teased.

Victoria laughed. "Touche."

"How's Reid?" Emily queried.

"Sleeping," Victoria replied, "but he's doing well. It feels really weird, being away from the team."

"You're telling me," said Emily.

"Do you ever regret leaving?" Victoria asked.

Emily was quiet for a long time. "No," she decided, "but I do miss them."

"I feel disconnected." Victoria muttered.

"I understand. And I know Anita's difficult." Emily said, shaking her head.

"She's a hard shell to crack," Victoria allowed, "but so was Morgan. And Rossi. And Hotch. And Spence. And JJ. None of them were quite as rude, but they were all difficult in their own right."

"You'll get it." Emily assured Victoria. She patted Victoria on the back and headed back to the dance floor. Victoria smiled and joined her. After several songs of dancing (which was really just a bunch of jumping up and down), Victoria headed out to call a cab. She was extremely tired and her bed was calling her name. She exited the club and dialed the taxi service. After getting off the phone with the service, she received a text from Spencer. She looked at it.

 _You look beautiful._

Victoria smiled, though it was somewhat bittersweet. She texted back a thank you and waited for the cab to show up. "Hey." said a voice.

Victoria turned, her eyebrows shooting up at Anita. "Hey."

Anita had her hands in her coat pockets. "Why have you not given up on me? I've been such a bitch to you."

Victoria shrugged. "You're going through a lot right now."

"That shouldn't excuse my actions." Anita retorted.

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "I've learned a lot over the years. And something that I've learned is to always look for the good in people, no matter how much of the bad I see. A little bit of kindness goes a long way."

Anita looked at the ground. "Who taught you that?"

"A very good friend of mine named Penelope." Victoria said, smiling.

"One of your BAU friends?" Anita asked.

"Yeah." Victoria said. She felt a pang of homesickness.

"You miss them?" Anita queried.

"Yeah," Victoria said.

Anita poked her cheek with her tongue. "Look, I get that you don't have to be here. Anyone else could've taken the job, but Prentiss requested you, and you came. I… I realize that must've been hard to do."

"What made you realize this? Did Emily talk to you?" Victoria asked suspiciously.

"No," said Anita, hesitating. She worked her jaw. "I overheard your conversation with her."

"How?" Victoria demanded.

"What can I say, I'm good at my job." Anita said, extending her arms slightly.

Victoria chuckled. "Yeah, you are."

Anita sighed. "Look, I'm willing to give this a try if you are willing to not treat me like a trauma victim."

"I can do that." Victoria said. Anita dipped her head.

"Somebody call the police! It's illegal to look that good!" cried a man. Victoria and Anita glanced at him as he swaggered over, bringing his drunken stench with him.

"Go somewhere people actually want you." Anita snapped.

The man grinned toothily and turned to Victoria. "They say kissing's the language of love. Wanna have a conversation?" He leaned down, his mouth hanging open.

Victoria pushed him back. "No thanks, I have a boyfriend."

"And I have a pet goldfish." said the man.

"What the hell are you on about?" Anita snarled.

"Well, I thought we were talking about things that don't matter." said the man.

"Very clever," Victoria scoffed, "but back off before you hurt yourself."

"I'm just looking for some fun," said the man, grabbing Victoria by the waist.

"I said back the fuck off!" Victoria yelled, shoving the man back.

He held up his hands. "Whoa, I don't want any trouble. Maybe your friend and I could have at it instead. I won't disappoint."

Anita marched up to him. She reached down and grabbed the man's sensitives roughly. He let out a whimper. "You've already been a huge disappointment. Now get out of here before I yank off your peaches!"

The man scampered off, cursing Victoria and Anita. Victoria turned to Anita, grinning. "That was awesome."

Anita smirked. "Remind me to get you enrolled in Ethan's self-defense class. You could use it."

"Okay." Victoria said, blinking spastically. Her cab pulled up. Victoria clambered inside. She waved farewell to Anita, who headed back into the club with her head down.

…

Spencer pulled up to the cabin and shut off the engine to his car. He stared at the old place, not ready to get out of the car. He closed his eyes for a moment longer than necessary before getting out. He headed inside to find the team gathered round a body, which was covered with a sheet. Everyone stared at it with similar expressions of shock and sorrow. Spencer's lip trembled as he fought back the urge to cry.

Garcia and Morgan entered the house, too. There was a moment of silence. "Is… Are you sure?" Garcia whispered.

Spencer looked at Hotch, hoping that he was wrong. But Hotch inclined his head slightly. "It's Gideon." he confirmed.

Spencer felt his eyes fill with tears. Not wanting the team to see him cry, he turned and stormed out of the cabin.

…

Victoria closed her eyes and waited for Ethan to attack. She opened them when she felt Ethan try and wrap his arm around her neck. She grabbed his arm with both hands and bucked her hips out. Ethan's balance teetered. Victoria dropped to one knee, yanking on Ethan's arm as she did so. Ethan's body rolled over hers and he landed flat on his back, sprawled on the floor. He grinned. "Well done, love. You have successfully mastered the art of the judo-flip." he said.

Victoria smiled, pleased with herself. She reached down to help Ethan stand. "Thanks again for teaching me."

"Not a problem," said Ethan. "Every woman should know how to defend herself. We live in a shitty world."

"It's not all bad," Victoria said, taking a gulp of water. Ethan grinned.

"It's not," he agreed. "Go shower because you stink."

"So charming," Victoria teased. She grabbed her things and headed for the locker room. She showered quickly and then got dressed. She did her makeup and headed for the elevator. Ethan had been teaching her self-defense every day for the past week and a half. Victoria was glad it was starting to pay off. Victoria walked into the bullpen, passing Anita's desk as she did so.

"Hey, Parker. Are we still on for girl's night tonight?" Anita asked.

"Of course," said Victoria. The two were by no means close friends, but they had managed to become acquainted with one another, making a habit of hanging out when they could. Victoria kind of liked Anita's spunk, when it wasn't directed at her. Victoria headed for her office, but Emily waved Victoria over. Frowning, Victoria changed course and strode over to Emily's office.

"Something's come up." Emily announced grimly, sitting at her desk.

Victoria frowned and took a seat across from Emily. "What's up?"

"Hotch called today," Emily said. Victoria felt her heart sink.

"What's wrong? Are they okay?" she demanded.

"No one's hurt," Emily assured Victoria. "Well… Gideon was murdered. They're working the case now."

Victoria felt her jaw drop. Spencer was probably devastated… "Oh, no."

"Hotch said that they need you to come back in for a week or two, just to make sure they're okay." Emily said.

Victoria blinked. "Can I do that?"

Emily chuckled. "You're not a prisoner, Victoria. Of course you can."

"When can I leave?" Victoria asked.

"Whenever you want. I've arranged everything for you." Emily said.

"Thanks," Victoria said. "Let's do girl's night tonight, but I want to leave tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." Emily replied.

Victoria tried calling Spencer several times, but he wouldn't pick up. So, she called Penelope, who answered on the first ring. "You've heard." Penelope cried.

"Yeah, I heard," said Victoria. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," said Penelope. "I'm here with JJ. Let me put you on speaker."

"Hey, Parker." JJ greeted.

"Hey," Victoria replied. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah. It's weird. We're sitting in his house and… It's just weird." said JJ.

"We're also eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream because we haven't eaten in a freakishly long time." said Penelope.

Victoria chuckled. "Save me some. I could use some ice cream. Sounds like you guys are okay, then. What about Spence?"

"Well… He's… Being Spence. You know how he is with loss." JJ said.

"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "Listen, give everyone my love, but I've gotta go."

"Okay. Love you." Penelope said.

"Love you, V." JJ added.

"Love you guys, too." Victoria said. She hung up and sighed. Of course Spencer was withdrawing. That was just how he coped with loss. Unfortunately, it made things difficult for the people who loved him. Victoria spent the rest of the day typing up reports and checking her phone every ten seconds to see if Spencer had contacted her. He never did.

Her heart sinking, Victoria packed up her things. She could use a girls' night in. She headed to her apartment and got ready, slipping on her favorite jeans, UGG boots and Ravenclaw hoodie. Then, she waited for Sarah to pick her up. Sarah showed, blaring her indie music and singing at the top of her lungs. Victoria braved a smile as she climbed into the car. Sarah drove to Anita's apartment, which was incredibly nice. It had a modern feel to it, with white leather couches and a rectangular, white ottoman.

"Wine?" Emily called. Victoria glanced toward the kitchen, where Emily sat at a tall table with a wine bottle, a full glass and three empty ones.

"Pizza's almost ready." said Anita from the kitchen. She was doubled over, peeking into the oven.

"No rush," Victoria assured her. "And yes to the wine."

"So," chirped Sarah to Rhonda as she accepted a glass of wine from Emily, "I hear you and Reyes are going out now?"

Rhonda blushed. "Y-yeah, we are."

"That's great! It's about time." said Sarah.

"I had to remind them fraternization policies, but my opinion is that if they liked each other before and handled the field professionally, they can do it as a couple." said Emily.

"Sarah, are you dating anyone?" Victoria asked, taking a sip of Moscato.

"Oh, no. I'm taking a break from that whole dating thing." said Sarah.

"I hear ya," said Emily, raising her glass. She leaned toward the kitchen. "What about you, Anita?"

"Just a second," Anita snapped, pulling the pizza from the oven. She set the pizza on the stovetop. She walked over and poured herself a glass of wine. "I've been seeing someone."

"Really?" Victoria demanded.

Anita scowled. "Don't act like it's such a big surprise, Parker."

"Well, you're just so welcoming, I find it hard to believe this hasn't happened sooner." Victoria retorted scathingly.

"Ha, ha," Anita drawled. "He's French and amazing in bed. That's all I'm saying."

"Are you guys exclusive?" Sarah asked.

"Not yet," said Anita. "We haven't reached that point. I think the only person here who is in a serious relationship is Parker."

Victoria bit her lip. "I don't know if we're serious."

"You haven't talked about it?" Sarah demanded.

"Well, we've said we see a future together, yeah. But he's not going out and getting a ring anytime soon. We haven't even been together a year yet." said Victoria.

"But you've known each forever," said Emily, "and you were close before you started dating. I honestly thought you two were in a secret relationship until you told me about Korey."

Victoria grimaced. "I'd rather forget about him."

"Who?" Rhonda piped up innocently.

"My ex," Victoria stated.

"Her abusive, tried-to-kill-her-and-tortured-her ex." Anita clarified.

"Whoa." Rhonda said.

"Yeah." Victoria muttered. She stared into her wine glass, her thoughts drifting to Spencer. Why couldn't he just call her back? Surely he wasn't that busy with the case… Victoria knew Spencer too well to know it wasn't just the case. Spencer was avoiding talking to her because he was grieving, and that's just what he did. But she wished it wasn't. She felt helpless, especially with an entire ocean in between them.

"Victoria? Are you okay?" asked Sarah.

Victoria jerked out of her trance. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Liar," accused Anita.

Victoria sighed. "I'm going back to America tomorrow because my team there just suffered a loss."

"You're leaving?" Anita demanded, her eyes wide.

"For a week or two," said Victoria. "But my team just lost someone close to them and they need me."

"It's more than that," insisted Emily. "What's eating at you?"

Victoria traced the rim of her glass. "It's Spencer," she admitted finally. "He withdraws when he's grieving. I understand that that's just how he copes, but he pushes me away and with me being here and him being there… Distance is the last thing we need right now."

"Good thing you're going back, then," said Anita. "It'll help with that distance a bit."

"Maybe he's just waiting to talk to you in person." suggested Sarah.

Victoria shook her head. "He doesn't know I'm coming. The only person who does is the unit chief, Aaron Hotchner."

"Well, when you see Spencer again, hit him upside the head. Relationships are about both parties. It's a two-way street. It'll never work if you don't talk to each other." said Anita.

"I know. And he knows. It's just…" Victoria trailed off.

"Easier said than done." Anita guessed.

"Yeah." Victoria muttered.

"So, tell us about your Spencer," said Sarah. "You're the only one willing to share. We all know Reyes and Em and I are both single. What's Spencer like?"

"Well… He's smart." Victoria said lamely.

Emily laughed. "Yeah, an IQ of 187 smart."

"Whoa," said Rhonda.

"Isn't that a little intimidating?" Anita asked.

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Saying I'm not smart?"

"No," said Anita, "but you're not IQ of 187 smart."

"Thanks," Victoria muttered. But, she appreciated Anita's honesty. "Yeah, it's intimidating sometimes. Especially since his last girlfriend was just as smart as he is."

"Why didn't they work out?" Rhonda queried.

"She… got shot right in front of him." Victoria admitted.

"Holy shit." said Sarah, shaking her head.

"So you're second choice?" Anita surmised.

"What?" Victoria demanded.

"You're his second choice." Anita repeated.

"Anita," hissed Sarah.

"What? I'm just asking." Anita replied.

Victoria considered giving a sharp retort, but decided against it. "Sometimes I feel that way."

"You are not a second choice, trust me," said Emily. "I saw the two of you together before I even heard of Maeve, back when you two were just friends. And trust me, there was something there."

"Well, thank you." Victoria muttered.

There was a moment of awkward silence. "So, scary movie night?" Anita chirped, lifting up a copy of _The Shining_.

…

Spencer stared at the elevator wall. His heart felt heavy in his chest, as if an anchor had wrapped around it. They had solved Gideon's murder, but that didn't make Spencer feel any better. Gideon was still dead. Sure, they hadn't talked in years. But there had been something comforting in the fact that Gideon had been alive and out there. It was hard enough not having Victoria around, but now… He needed her more than ever, and she wasn't around. He had ignored her calls. He knew it wasn't her fault, but he was frustrated that she had accepted the job in London. Why couldn't she have just stayed with him? Plus, he wasn't ready to talk about Gideon.

The elevator dinged with the announcement of their arrival at their designated floor. Spencer and the team filtered off silently. "Spence." JJ murmured.

Spencer glanced at her, but JJ was staring ahead. Following JJ's gaze, Spencer's eyes landed on someone he hadn't thought he'd see in a long time: Victoria. Spencer felt his lips part in shock. Without even thinking, he rushed into Victoria's arms, burying his face in her neck. "I'm so sorry." Victoria whispered, rubbing his back.

Spencer blinked back tears as he pulled away. Victoria gazed up at him sadly and then took his hand. She turned to the rest of the team. "When did you get in?" Garcia asked, hugging Victoria.

"A few hours ago." Victoria replied.

"You've just been here?" Kate demanded.

"Yeah, I wanted to be here when you guys got back." Victoria said. She was passed through the arms of each team member.

"I thought you have another three weeks?" JJ asked.

"I'm here to counsel," Victoria said.

"I thought we might need some uplifting around here after the recent events." said Hotch.

Garcia turned to Victoria, her jaw hanging open. Spencer felt his lips cracking with a smile. "So, you're staying here?" Garcia demanded.

"Just for the time being," said Victoria. "I have a job to finish in London. But they recently got a case that's pretty big, so they've given me two weeks here. Then I go back."

"Two weeks, two days, two hours, I'll take it!" Garcia cried.

Victoria smiled. She looked dead on her feet. Spencer figured she was jetlagged. "I'll take you home." he said.

"Thanks," Victoria yawned.

"Anyone up for breakfast tomorrow?" Garcia asked.

"Sure," said JJ.

"Woman, you read my mind about pancakes." chorused Morgan.

The rest of the team agreed. Spencer took Victoria by the hand and led her to the elevator. Once the doors shut, Victoria rested her head on Spencer's arm. Despite his aching chest, Spencer felt a smile toy with his lips. She had come home.

 **…**

 **So she's back for a little while… And then she'll finish her job in London and then she's back for good and I'll start Season 11! Updates might slow again. Thanks for everyone's support.**


	27. Chapter 27

**_A Proposition_**

"It's just… unfair that he's gone." Spencer croaked.

Victoria frowned. "Spence… I know it's never easy, but losing people… It happens."

"I know that," Spencer muttered, a bit harsher than he had meant. "I just feel like I lose everyone around me, you know? My dad left, Maeve and now Gideon… Now you're in London…"

"Spencer, I'm not staying there forever. I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." Victoria insisted.

"But what if something happens to you and I'm not there to… to protect you? To help you?" Spencer retorted. He lifted his eyes to meet Victoria's.

She bit her lip, a bad habit of hers when she was deep in thought. "You can't protect me from everything, Spence. Even if I'm here."

"Which is why I feel like I lose everything," Spencer snapped. He rarely got angry, but he couldn't fight the swelling fire in his chest. "I don't have any control over what happens, no matter how much I wish I did."

"Maybe this is the optimist in me speaking, but I think this is an opportunity. I think all tragedies are. If you look at tragedies as just that –tragedies –it puts you at risk into sinking into your own grief, beyond the point of no return. But you can look at this as a chance to better yourself, the one thing you do have control over. You can reach out to people you've lost contact with, so you don't regret never reaching out to them. It's a chance to grow closer with the team. They've lost Gideon, too. I know you were very close to him, but so was Hotch. Now's a chance to develop your relationships around you, to make them stronger." said Victoria.

"But then it's harder to lose people." Spencer muttered.

"It can also make you stronger, Spence. Do you think being in a relationship with me puts you at risk for more hurt?" Victoria challenged.

"Yeah," Spencer croaked.

"Is it worth it?" Victoria asked quietly.

Spencer's eyes shot up. He stared at Victoria, who merely looked back, her expression dark. "Yes."

Victoria's face softened. "Then I'd say the pain is worth the risk."

…

The day had arrived that Victoria would be leaving America once again. She found solace in the notion that her time in England was more than halfway over. She would return to America for good in just two and a half weeks. She and her sister had promised to work on Alice's wedding as soon as Victoria returned to America. Her brother and his wife Grace had called to let Victoria know that their baby had been born, a healthy little girl named Blair. Victoria had been excited to hear about the new addition and promised to visit as soon as possible.

Victoria said her goodbyes to the team and headed out of the bullpen. Spencer was pulling the car around, so Victoria trekked to the elevator alone. "Parker," called Hotch. Victoria turned around. She smiled at her former boss.

"What's up?" she queried.

Hotch stood before her, his brow furrowed in its usual serious way. "What are your plans after England?"

"Um, I guess return to the OVA. Why?" Victoria replied.

Hotch glanced at the elevator, which dinged with the announcement of its arrival. The doors slid open. "I want you to consider taking the classes to become a profiler."

Victoria felt the color drain out of her face. "Oh, Hotch, I don't know…"

"I just want you to consider becoming a more permanent part of this team." Hotch replied.

Victoria's eyes broadened. "I'd love to, but I don't know if I'm profiler material."

"We'll talk about it more when you get back," said Hotch, sticking his hand out to stop the elevator doors from closing. "Just consider it."

"I… Okay." Victoria replied. She stepped inside the elevator. The doors slid shut, Hotch's retreating back the last thing she saw of the BAU bullpen.

…

Victoria entered Emily's office, jetlagged and tired. The rest of the team was gathered around, reflecting similar looks of concern and agitation. Victoria sobered when she sensed the somber atmosphere. "What's going on?" Victoria asked.

"While you were away, our case got more intense. We decided to follow a lead and sent Sarah undercover." explained Anita.

Victoria frowned, realizing Sarah was indeed absent. She felt her heart sink. "Is she okay?"

"We don't know," said Emily, "we think her cover has been blown."

"She missed her last two check ins." added Ethan.

Victoria widened her eyes. "What do we do?"

"There's not much we can do," said Emily.

"Why not?" Victoria demanded.

"If we go in after her, the organization she infiltrated might scatter." Reyes explained.

"They'll go underground and we'll lose them forever." said Rhonda.

"And if it's true her cover has been blown, then ours probably has been, too." Emily said.

"The best way to get her out is to send someone else in and signal for us to send a team in." Ethan muttered.

"But if our covers have been blown, none of us can go in. Interpol will be easy to spot now that they know what to look for." Anita put her face in her hands.

Victoria looked at her hands. "I'll do it."

Anita laughed. "You're funny, Parker."

Victoria scowled. "I'm serious. You just said that Interpol is easy to spot. Send me in. I'm not Interpol."

"If we sent her with a clicker, she could alert us…" Reyes allowed.

"She isn't trained for undercover!" hissed Anita protectively.

"That's the point," said Victoria, "now that they know about Sarah, they know the methods Interpol uses. Interpol isn't responsible for me, so you don't have to get clearance to send me in, either. I'm just a citizen helping out."

"But you're not a citizen." Ethan argued.

"Exactly," said Victoria, "so you don't have to suffer too much for my choices. Look, I'm American. They won't think I'm Interpol. I can just be someone who has just moved here with no family and I'm looking for a job. You guys said you think this organization is targeting young women looking for maid jobs? There's my in."

"Ugh, for a second there, I thought you had a plan." Anita grumbled.

"It could work." Emily allowed.

"Are you kidding me? There are too many things that could go wrong here!" Anita snarled.

"We don't know for sure if it's this group, anyway." Ethan said.

"Then I can get evidence!" Victoria insisted. "We don't have a lot of options. The more we sit around contemplating this, the longer Sarah is stuck there!"

"She has a point," said Reyes. "None of us really like these odds, but we have to do something. That's our Sarah in there. We need answers."

Emily sighed and looked at Victoria. "Okay. We'll send you in."

 **…**

 **Sorry for the extremely short chapter, next one should be longer since it'll be Victoria going undercover… What'd you guys think?**


	28. Chapter 28

**_Undercover_**

 **Warning: Violence ahead!**

Victoria smiled as soon as Spencer's face popped up on her computer screen. He returned the smile. "Hey! How are you?" Victoria greeted.

"I'm pretty good," said Spencer, his lips twisting with a barely contained smile, "and you?"

"I'm great. So… How was work, honey schnookums?" Victoria asked, curling up in her chair with her mug of hot cocoa.

Spencer laughed. "Honey schnookums?"

Victoria shrugged. "Honey-pie, cookie muffin… Whatever you want."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "All right, sweetie pumpkin."

"Good one." Victoria teased.

Spencer smirked. He sighed. "Work was all right. We just had a kidnapping case. I almost blew it, too."

Victoria raised her eyebrows over her mug. She swallowed a mouthful of rich cocoa. "How so?"

"I was doing surveillance and this girl was getting pushed around by one of the guys we were watching… I-I was reminded of you and Korey, and I couldn't stand by and watch it. Turns out, she was working with them." Spencer looked away from the screen pointedly.

Victoria softened. "Spence… That's really sweet of you, that you can't stand things like that. But you know I'm okay, right?"

Spencer nodded and pressed his lips together. Then, he licked his lips, still looking at his hands. "I know. I just wish I could've helped you more. I should've stepped in sooner."

"Spence, I'm out of that relationship. Korey can't ever hurt me again. You saved my life." Victoria said.

Spencer lifted his eyes to meet Victoria's through the screen. "I know he can't hurt you. I just wish I could've done more."

"You did everything you could. I was the idiot." said Victoria.

"Don't say that about yourself," Spencer pleaded.

Victoria nodded. She let out a huff of air. "You got it, kitten pickles."

Spencer burst out laughing. " _Kitten pickles_?"

"What, you don't like that one?" Victoria asked innocently.

Spencer was still chuckling. "It's… It's pretty creative."

"I looked that one up, actually," said Victoria, taking another sip of cocoa.

Spencer raised a brow. "You look up ridiculous pet names for me?"

"There's a lot of downtime here, I've gotta find some way to entertain myself." Victoria defended herself.

Spencer snorted. "Kitten pickles… That's a name on the list?"

Victoria looked at her phone. "Yep. Right under 'fluff bumps.'"

Spencer chuckled. Victoria grinned in reply. Spencer shook his head. "Well, at least you're not calling me things like Garcia does to Morgan." he said.

"You wouldn't like 'chocolate thunder?'" Victoria asked, giggling.

"No," chortled Spencer.

"How about… 'vanilla lightning?'" Victoria tried.

"No!" Spencer laughed.

Victoria snickered. "Well, I guess I'll just have to stick with 'silly willy jiggabilly.'"

Spencer's eyes widened. "What does that even mean?"

"You tell me, you're the one with nine hundred and fifty-two PhD's!" Victoria teased.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Three," he corrected, "and they unfortunately did not teach slang in grad school."

"What a waste of an education," Victoria scoffed, winking at Spencer.

He shook his head, his eyes bright. His humor faltered slightly. "I miss you."

Victoria tilted her head. "I miss you too, Spence."

Spencer inhaled. "How is work going for you? Is Anita still giving you a hard time? Is Ethan still flirting with you?"

"It's pretty good, no and yes," said Victoria. She took a sip of cocoa. "Mm! I do have to tell you something about work though."

"What's that?" Spencer asked, leaning forward.

Victoria set down her mug. "Well, Emily and her team received a case. Long story short, one of their agents went undercover and hasn't checked in."

"Do they think something's gone wrong?" Spencer asked, his brow furrowing.

"We don't know," said Victoria, "so I volunteered to go after their agent."

Spencer's face went blank. He stared at the screen for a while. His lips parted. "You did what?"

Victoria frowned. "I volunteered to go undercover to find Sarah."

Spencer blinked. He licked his lips. "And what did the team say?"

"Well, some were against at first, but we don't have a lot of time or options. In the end, they agreed." Victoria replied.

"D-did Emily agree?" Spencer's voice had risen an octave.

Victoria's face fell, catching on Spencer's discomfort. "Well, yeah…"

Spencer put his face in his hands. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow night," said Victoria, "that's why I wanted us to Skype so badly. I knew I wouldn't be able to tomorrow."

Spencer's hands slammed down. "What? Victoria, you can't do this. It's way too dangerous."

Victoria scowled. "Spence, it'll be fine. I just have to get evidence and find Sarah. I have seventy-two hours. If I don't signal by then, Emily and her team are coming after me. I won't be in there more than three days."

Spencer rubbed his face with hands. His eyebrows were pinched together. "Victoria, please. Don't do this. I can't believe Emily is letting you do this. You have no training, whatsoever…"

"Actually, Ethan's been teaching me self-defense. If I need to, I can fight back." said Victoria, drawing herself up.

Spencer glowered at her. "Oh, great, so he's been putting hands on you on top of flirting constantly?"

"Spence, it's not like that. He's just got a lot of bravado, that's all. Don't you trust me?" Victoria replied.

"It's him I don't trust," snapped Spencer, "and that's not the point! Victoria, please. Back out. Do not do this. It's too dangerous. I… I'm not there to protect you. I-I can't lose you."

Victoria frowned. "Spence, you won't always be there to protect me. And you won't lose me."

"You don't know that! Victoria, you're just a counselor. You're not prepared for what you'll face. Let Emily's team handle it." Spencer retorted.

Victoria drew back from the screen, lowering her gaze. She hadn't told Spencer about Hotch's offer. She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Did Spencer not believe in her? "I'm just a counselor?" she whispered, looking up at the screen. Spencer didn't reply. He merely glared at her through the screen. "You think I can't handle this? I'm not weak, Spencer."

"I didn't say you were," said Spencer, "but this isn't your job. It's too dangerous. Seeing this stuff… It changes you, Victoria."

"I know," Victoria snapped. "This is my choice. And it may not be my job, but you know what? I want to. My friend is in danger. This is my chance to prove that I can handle things like this. I need to this. I want to do this."

Spencer sighed. "Why do you need to prove yourself, Victoria?"

"Apparently I need to prove to you that I'm strong enough." Victoria snapped.

Spencer blinked. "Victoria, I didn't mean it like that…"

"I have to go." Victoria barked, looking away from him.

Spencer was quiet for several seconds. "Fine."

Victoria felt as if her heart had been squeezed. She looked at the screen. But Spencer had ended the Skype call. Tears welled in Victoria's eyes. She crawled over to her bed and curled up into the fetal position. Her body shivered with sobs until her eyelids were too heavy to battle sleep anymore.

…

"You all right, Parker? You seem upset." said Ethan, walking into the elevator, coffee cup in hand.

Victoria forced a smile. "Yeah. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Nervous?" Ethan asked.

Surprisingly, no. Victoria's mind drifted to Spencer again. Her throat felt as if there were a thorn lodged in it. It hurt to swallow. "Yeah." she lied.

"You'll be fine. Prentiss and I will brief you in her office, okay?" Ethan said.

"Okay." Victoria answered. Ethan squeezed her arm before exiting the elevator. Victoria followed him. Ethan headed straight for Prentiss's office. Victoria hung back, not sure if they were ready for her yet or not.

"Bloody hell, Parker, you look like shit." said Anita.

Victoria glanced down at her. "Thanks."

Anita offered her own cup of coffee to Victoria, who shook her head. "You need it." Anita insisted.

Victoria sank into the chair across from Anita's desk. "My boyfriend doesn't want me doing this."

Anita raised a brow. "Fuck him."

Victoria sighed and put her face in her hands. "I feel like we just broke up."

"Why doesn't he want you doing this?" Anita asked.

"He thinks it's too dangerous and that I'm not equipped for this." Victoria replied.

"We all think that." Anita said.

"It's the way he said it, though. He made it sound like he didn't believe in me or something." Victoria retorted.

Anita scrunched her lips together. "Well, kick this operation's ass and prove him wrong. Maybe get a black eye for good measure and then he'll feel like a real shit."

Victoria cracked a smile, despite herself. "Thanks." She peered into Anita's coffee cup, full of onyx liquid. "Urgh, you drink black coffee?"

Anita smirked. "I like my coffee black, like my soul."

Victoria snorted, but didn't respond. "Parker!" called Emily, poking her head out of her office.

"Here I go," Victoria breathed, getting to her feet.

"Parker," said Anita as Victoria walked past, "you've got this."

Victoria smiled. "Thanks." She entered Emily's office, her heart pounding.

"All right. So, here's the plan. You're going to drive to the location. You're Noelle Gray, a recently widowed ex-librarian from New York City. You moved here after your husband, Reed, died in a tragic car accident. You're looking to start over and need a temporary job as a maid. Got it?" Prentiss said.

"Yeah." Victoria croaked.

"Here is what you'll wear there. Keep this with you at times. It's a recorder. If you're in danger, press this button. It'll signal us to come get you." said Prentiss, handing Victoria a pile.

"Remember, they have to let you in. Don't force your way in. If they don't let you in, then just leave. That's how they get their victims. They haven't ever technically kidnapped anyone per se. All the victims went in willingly. Any questions?" Ethan said.

Victoria shook her head. She felt a little queasy, but she forced herself to smile. "I'm ready."

…

"Reid? Kid?" said Morgan.

"Earth to Spence," said JJ.

Spencer looked around. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. What's going on?"

"You look a little out of it," said JJ. "Everything okay?"

Spencer swallowed the hard lump in his throat. He cleared his throat and blinked rapidly. Victoria and I got into an argument."

"What?" demanded Penelope, who had been walking toward her office. She hurried over to Spencer. "Don't tell me my OTP is breaking up!"

"We're not," said Spencer, "at least, I don't think we are."

"What happened?" JJ asked.

Spencer sighed and jumped into the story. When he finished, his friends exchanged not-so-subtle glances. "What?" Spencer demanded.

"If Emily's letting her do this, then obviously she thinks Victoria can handle it." said Morgan.

"And Parker isn't exactly unaware of what goes on during cases." added JJ.

"Have you seen her? She's an adorable bottle of kick-ass." Garcia added.

"She's tough." JJ agreed.

"Reid, I know you're worried about her, but she'll be fine." Morgan said.

Spencer nodded slowly. He blinked back tears. He knew the team was right, but… He still didn't want Victoria putting herself in danger.

…

Victoria gulped down the bile rising in her throat. She trembled as she reached out and rang the doorbell of the massive mansion before her. No, it had definitely once been a small castle. It had to have been…

The door swung open to reveal a man. He raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" he drawled.

"Um, hi. I-I just moved here, and I'm looking for a job. I've been to several houses tonight already, but no one seems to want a maid," Victoria laughed nervously. The man didn't share her humor. Victoria coughed. "I don't ask for a lot of pay, I just need something to cover rent. I've just moved here, you see, and I really need the money."

The man held up a hand. Victoria waited for him to speak. "I will go fetch Ms. Batherie. Wait here."

Victoria nodded. "Thank you."

The man closed the door. Victoria waited, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, for him to return. The door swung open. This time, it was a woman. She was middle aged, but attractive. Her brown eyes scrutinized Victoria, who smiled uncertainly. "I'm in need of a maid, yes. What's your work experience?" demanded Ms. Batherie.

"I was a librarian in New York City." said Victoria.

Batherie raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you leave America?"

Victoria lowered her gaze, playing on her acting skills. "My husband was killed in a car wreck a few months ago," she muttered. She was quiet for a moment, trying to work up some tears. She looked up. "I just couldn't bear the thought of staying there. I'm trying to start over."

Batherie smiled. "Well, you poor thing. Come in, I'll show you around."

Victoria smiled, but her heart was in her throat. "Thank you." She stepped inside the mansion.

"I can't imagine what you're going through. Losing your husband, then moving to a country where you don't know anyone… You're very brave." said Ms. Batherie.

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, miss."

"One might say foolish." said Ms. Batherie.

Victoria's smile faded. "Um…" Something heavy whacked the back of her head, and Victoria slumped to the floor, her vision fading into darkness.

…

Victoria awoke in a vast, dungeon-like room. Her wrists were chained above her head, which throbbed. She blinked slowly, her vision focusing. She let out an audible gasp. Nearly a hundred other young women were chained the walls around her. Some sported worse injuries, their skin rent and torn from multiple beatings. Some cried softly to themselves, others were praying. Some were completely motionless, and Victoria feared they weren't even alive. The room reeked of blood, burned flesh, vomit and excrement. Victoria's eyes scanned the room for Sarah. They found a slumped, dark-haired and petite figure across the room. Victoria squinted. She didn't have her glasses anymore; Batherie must have taken them. Victoria couldn't tell if it was Sarah or not. To make matters worse, Victoria couldn't signal Prentiss, since her recorder was in her sock. She was sure she had enough evidence, since these people had kidnapped her. But now she couldn't alert Prentiss and the others to come get her. Sure, they'd be there in… Shit. Victoria had no idea how long she'd been there, and there were no windows to indicate the time outside.

The door opened. Victoria watched several of the girls feign unconsciousness. She frowned, watching as the newcomers, two men, walked through the room, examining the women. Victoria hung her head, following the other girls' example. She listened as the footsteps drew closer to her. She forced her breath to remain slow and steady, faking sleep. She peeked through her eyelashes. Two pairs of shoes had stopped in front of her. One of the men crouched in front of her. "She's awake." he announced, straightening.

The other man grabbed a handful of Victoria's hair and yanked her head back, forcing her to look up at him. Victoria's eyes fluttered open as she stared back. The man to her left was tall with dark hair, while the other was of average height and light hair. But Victoria's lack of glasses rendered her unable to make out any defining features. The one her left leaned forward, close enough for Victoria to make out his amber eyes and the stubble on his chin. Victoria's wrists were released from their restraints. Her arms dropped to her sides, but they were extremely sore. "Get up." growled the man on the left.

Victoria staggered to her feet. The two men grabbed either side of her and led her out of the dungeon-like room. They forced her through the halls, up a staircase and down a corridor. At the end was a fancy and embellished door. The man on Victoria's right pushed the door open. The men shoved Victoria inside. She tripped over her own feet and sprawled on the floor. She pushed herself to rest on her knees. Batherie approached Victoria.

Batherie crouched in front of Victoria. The sadist gripped Victoria's face in her skeletal hand. "Pretty face… Youthful, innocent. Tell me girl, are you a virgin?" Batherie barked.

Victoria blinked back tears. "Yes."

Batherie smiled. "Good. That's always a big seller. You haven't been beat too badly yet… Gordon likes fresh ones."

"Ms. Batherie?" queried a timid girl in a maid's uniform in the corner of the room.

"What?" barked Batherie.

"Y-your bath is ready." whimpered the young maid.

Batherie's demeanor changed at once. She lit up. "Excellent. Come, girl." Batherie added sharply to Victoria. Batherie left the main bedroom and entered the most elegant bathroom Victoria had ever seen. She felt as if she had stepped back in time and was in the presence of a queen. A sadistic, human-trafficking queen.

Victoria stared at the lion-footed bathtub. Batherie stripped of her clothes. She definitely wasn't shy. Victoria widened her eyes in horror as Batherie stepped into the bathtub. The tub wasn't filled with hot water. It was filled with thick, sticky blood.

…

Victoria's back ached from leaning over scrubbing the floor all day. Her arms screamed in protest with every move she made. She was chained to the wall again, her arms above her head. She hadn't signaled Emily yet, even though she'd had plenty of chances to do so. She wanted to get some of the customers, too. And that meant getting sold. Batherie had told Victoria that she'd be perfect for some guy named Gordon. Victoria had a feeling she'd be meeting Gordon pretty soon.

Sure enough, Victoria hadn't been in the dungeon very long when Batherie's two cronies entered. They released Victoria and dragged her through the halls and up a different staircase –geez, how many staircases did this place have? –and down a hall. They stopped in front of a room, which had a label on it: 41B. The two men knocked on the door. "We've got your purchase, Gordon." said one of the men.

The door opened. A man with grey hair and a matching goatee opened the door. His crystal blue eyes twinkled when he laid eyes on Victoria. "Ah, she's perfect." he cooed, stroking Victoria's face.

Victoria was forced into the room. Her eyes widened at the contraptions decorating the room. "Where do you want her?" asked one of Batherie's cronies.

"Here," said Gordon, gesturing to what looked like a flogging post. Victoria prayed that it wasn't. The two employees cuffed Victoria to the post. She listened to the door close. She jumped slightly when Gordon's cold fingers touched her. "I'm not here to take your virginity, dear. But feel free to cry or scream. I like that." he whispered. Victoria's eyes filled with tears. She heard the whistle of a whip and felt the sting across her back when it hit her. She clenched her fists. No. She would not cry out. But the next hit was harder, and Victoria let out a groan. Gordon continued to flog her until Victoria's throat was raw from crying. The door opened.

"Time's up." said one of Batherie's employees. Victoria was released from the flogging post. The two men half-dragged, half-walked her back to the dungeon, where they chained her arms above her head again. When the door closed, Victoria's cries mingled with the other girls'.

…

"You're not scrubbing hard enough!" yelled Batherie. She struck Victoria across the face. Victoria forced herself to scrub the floor harder, gritting her teeth as her back screamed when the movement cracked open her wounds. Her face stung from Batherie's beatings.

"Ms. Batherie, your bath is ready." said a maid.

"Good." said Batherie. She stormed off. Victoria glanced around. The nearest guard was several feet away. Victoria reached into her sock and signaled Emily.

"Why'd you stop?" shouted the guard.

Victoria stared up at him. "I'm sorry!"

The guard kicked Victoria in the stomach. She collapsed onto the floor, coughing. "Did I say you could stop?" He smacked Victoria across the face. She let out a cry. The man drew his fist back to punch her. Victoria smacked his hand aside. He grazed the side of Victoria's face, but there was a sickening crack when his knuckles punched the marble floor. Victoria kneed him in the groin and shoved him off her. She staggered to her feet. A different guard grabbed her from behind. He slammed Victoria, face-first, into the wall. Dazed, she dropped to the floor. Her vision tilted into doubles.

"Back off!" yelled Emily.

Emily? Victoria squinted, but swayed on the spot. "Parker!" shouted Anita. Victoria tried to grab something to stop her fall, but nothing caught her and she collapsed onto the floor.

 **...**

 **Sorry for the violence in this chapter… Batherie was inspired by Erzebét Bathory, a serial killer from Turkey. She killed about 600-800 women and yes, she bathed in their blood. Anyway, what'd you think of this chapter? Thanks for the reviews I've gotten thus far!**


	29. Chapter 29

**_Awake_**

A steady beeping pulled Victoria out of her dreamless slumber. Her eyes cracked open and she peeked through her lashes. Several faces swam into view. Emily's face exploded with relief. "You're awake!" she gasped.

"About damn time," muttered Anita, though her face reflected Emily's relief.

"Hello, beautiful," greeted Ethan.

Victoria smiled. She cleared her throat to rid it of misuse buildup. "Hey." she croaked.

"I have to say, well done," said Reyes. "We got them."

Victoria grinned. "How's Sarah?"

"Still asleep. She was in worse shape." said Anita.

Victoria nodded. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, wincing as she pulled on her wounds. "How long have I been out?"

"Only a few hours." said Emily.

Victoria grimaced. "Does Spence know?"

Emily pursed her lips. "I haven't told him yet. But protocol…"

"I know," Victoria sighed. "He's gonna be pissed."

"He should be proud," said Anita. "You did well."

"Only because you guys gave me a few last minute tips." argued Victoria.

Ethan shook his head. "Are you sure you don't want to specialize as an undercover agent? You're a natural."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"It was worth a shot." Ethan winked.

Victoria smirked. She glanced at Emily. "So, what now?"

Emily shrugged. "Well, your time with us is over. You just need to send in the last bit of paperwork and then you can go home."

Victoria glanced at Anita, Reyes, Rhonda and Ethan. They all wore mixed expressions. Rhonda's eyes were misty. Reyes pursed his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets. Ethan looked down at his hands. Anita wore no expression, though Victoria could tell from the cluck of Anita's tongue that the darker woman was miffed. Victoria met Emily's gaze. "When Sarah's up to it, dinner's on me." Victoria said.

"The fuck it is," said Ethan, "you and Sarah deserve a free dinner. It's on me."

Victoria breathed a laugh. "You're right. Sarah and I do deserve it, don't we?"

Emily smiled. "It's a date. I'll be right back. I've gotta tell Reid."

Victoria grimaced. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"You're still unconscious," Emily said, winking. She stepped out, dialing Spencer's number.

Victoria looked at her new friends. "Is there any food?"

…

Spencer's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID. Emily Prentiss. His stomach twisted into a knot. He inhaled sharply and answered. "Hello?"

"Reid," said Emily.

"Emily," Spencer returned. "How's Victoria?"

"We got her out. She's fine. A little beat up, but she can come home in a few days." Emily replied.

Spencer exhaled, feeling a little more relaxed. "Is she awake?"

"Er… No." Emily said.

Spencer frowned. She was lying. "Emily…"

"She's not ready to talk yet, Reid." Emily muttered.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is she mad at me?"

"No," said Emily, "she's just not ready to talk. She saw a lot, Reid. And you weren't exactly supportive. I know you were worried, but you've gotta give Victoria some credit. She's not inexperienced."

"I know," Spencer sighed, his voice catching slightly, "but she's not trained for going undercover."

"That was the point. I agree, it was reckless. But we were running out of time for Sarah. Victoria's fine. But she's recovering. She's going to need you, Reid." Emily said.

Spencer nodded. "I know. Thank you for telling me, Emily."

"Of course." said Emily.

"Will you tell her that I'm not mad at her?" Spencer muttered.

"Sure," said Emily. "I'll make her talk to you as soon as I think she feels up to it. She just doesn't need a lot of emotional stress right now."

"I understand." Spencer sighed. He said goodbye to Emily and set down his phone. He rubbed his face with his hands. His last case had been rough. Kate's niece had been kidnapped. They'd managed to rescue her, but the stress of having a team member's child on the line… It hadn't been pleasant. Spencer walked out of Victoria's bedroom and entered the living room. Alice looked up.

"Any news on Victoria?" she demanded.

Spencer managed a smile. "She's okay."

…

Victoria stood in front of airport security, facing Anita, Emily and Ethan. "Thank you again for everything." Emily said, embracing Victoria.

"Of course," said Victoria.

"Keep me updated on the team." Emily added.

"I will," Victoria promised. She turned to Ethan. "Bye, Casanova."

Ethan managed a smile. "Don't be a stranger, beautiful." He pulled Victoria close. She smiled when they broke apart. Victoria stood in front of Anita, whose lips were stretched downward in a frown.

"I don't do sappy goodbyes." Anita snapped.

"You're still gonna miss me." Victoria teased.

Anita rolled her eyes. "I'd punch if you weren't already recovering from being someone else's punching bag."

"Thanks," said Victoria with an amused smile. The two women stared at each other for a few seconds.

"If you need anything…" Anita trailed off.

"Same goes for you." Victoria returned, not needing Anita to finish her suggestion.

Anita pursed her lips into a grim smile. "You're gonna miss your flight. See you 'round, blondie."

Victoria hugged Anita, who stiffened slightly before patting Victoria's back awkwardly. Victoria had never been much of a hugger, but she knew Anita needed it. With a last wave to her friends, Victoria headed toward airport security.

…

Spencer waited for Victoria by baggage claim. "Do you see her?" asked Alice, looking around anxiously.

"Not yet," said Spencer.

"She's taking forever." groaned Jason.

"Chill your dick, man. Flights take forever." said Seth.

"Language, you two." scolded Alice.

"I didn't say anything!" Jason protested.

"I could feel you about to say something." Alice chided.

"Whatever." Jason muttered.

Spencer's lips twisted in amusement at Victoria's siblings. He caught sight of her. She descended a flight of stairs, wincing slightly. Her hair hung around her face in their natural waves. Her face was clean of makeup. She wore a Slytherin T-shirt and jeans with black Converses. Her eyes were blank of her dorky glasses. Spencer frowned. Victoria didn't wear contacts. So where were her glasses?

Spencer waved, but Victoria didn't see him. She squinted, looking around. "Oh, shit. She doesn't have her glasses." said Jason.

"She can't see us." sniggered Seth.

"V!" cried Alice, rushing forward.

Victoria, once Alice was close enough, grinned in delight at the sight of her sister. The two embraced, squealing. Spencer allowed Victoria to have a moment with her sibling. Even the autistic Jason hugged her. Spencer stepped forward, his hands in his pockets. He felt a bit awkward, standing in front of her. They hadn't talked since their fight. Victoria had never called him after waking up in the hospital. Spencer met Victoria's gaze. Any traces of anger he had melted at the sight of her busted lip and the shadow of a black eye around her right eye. To Spencer's surprise, Victoria jumped into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck.

Spencer laughed and staggered back slightly. He wove his arms around her waist, holding her close. "I love you." he murmured.

"I love you, too," whispered Victoria. "I'm sorry I didn't call you… I just… I wanted to talk in person."

"You could've let me know you were okay." Spencer pouted.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm an asshole." Victoria cracked a smile.

Spencer returned it. "Let's get you home."

…

Victoria sank down onto her couch. Alice had drifted off to bed early, as she had an early flight the next day. Jason and Seth were both playing video games in Victoria's art studio. Spencer handed Victoria a glass of white wine and sat beside her. "So… What happened in there?" Spencer murmured.

With a deep breath, Victoria filled him in. She skimmed over the parts where she'd been beaten. "The dickheads broke my glasses in half, too! Now I can't see shit. I have to get new ones." Victoria finished.

Spencer didn't laugh. Victoria stole a glance at him. He was staring at his hands. He interlaced his finger, leaning on his knees. "Can I see where he whipped you?"

Victoria tensed. What if he thought it was ugly? But if anyone deserved to see it, he did. Victoria stood and pulled her shirt over her head, keeping her back to Spencer. She heard his intake of breath. She flinched when she felt his fingers brush her skin gently. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you." she murmured.

"I'm sorry I didn't support you," Spencer replied. "I know how it feels to be underestimated. I should've… I was just worried."

Victoria allowed her shirt to fall back around her, covering her new scars. She turned and buried her face in Spencer's chest. "It's okay. I get worried about you, too."

Spencer hugged her. "I know. Our jobs make it hard for us to not get worried. At least you have the less dangerous one."

Victoria bit her lip. She still hadn't told Spencer about Hotch's offer. "Yeah."

…

"Parker, did you get new glasses?" Hotch asked.

Victoria smiled. "Yeah, I did." It was her fifth day back home. She had returned to work the day previous, but had made an appointment with Hotch to discuss his proposal.

"They look nice," said Hotch. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Victoria sat down across from Hotch.

"Did you consider my offer?" Hotch asked.

"I did," said Victoria. "But I still have some reservations about it."

"I think you have what it takes. You proved yourself through your time with this team and with Interpol. Now that Kate's left the team, we're going to need to fill that space. And JJ's on maternity leave, too." Hotch said.

Victoria pursed her lips. "I understand, sir. But I like being the counselor to the team, too. I don't want to give that up."

Hotch frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe you don't have to," he said. "You could take the classes to be a profiler and we could hire you as a part time worker. The other half of your time could be spent being our personal counselor. You wouldn't need to send reports to anyone but myself and occasionally Cruz. I could request you as our personal counselor. But I really think you should consider being a profiler, too."

"You really want me on this team." Victoria teased.

Hotch cracked a small smile. "I've seen how far this team has come with your help. The things we see and do on a daily basis… We need someone to turn to. And your skills as a counselor come in handy when trying to profile an unsub. We could use your creativity and compassion, Parker. That is, if you want to be a permanent member of this team."

Victoria frowned. "I do. When can I start?"

 **…**

 **So… Victoria's gonna join the team permanently! Next chapter will be fluffy, and then I will start Season 11! But I need to go back and re-watch episodes that I've recorded. Updates will definitely slow down so that I can catch up with Season 11. What did you guys think?**


	30. Chapter 30

**_Family_**

When Victoria's profiling classes ended, she took a flight to Louisiana to visit her family. She had agreed to babysit Brett's kids while he was on vacation with his wife. Victoria had agreed, only if Alice joined her in the task. The two decided it would be a good time to organize last-minute wedding items, too. Victoria had gotten a dress while in London. She was glad for Alice's pictures of the color scheme and decorations. Her dress was lovely coral gown that dropped to her feet. Victoria couldn't be more excited for her sister's wedding, but with a tinge of sadness, she was reminded that she was supposed to have been married. Sure, it was better that she hadn't married Korey, but now… Spencer had said he could imagine a future with her, but what did that mean?

Victoria grinned when she saw Brett with a sign for her by baggage claim. She hurried to her brother and jumped into his arms. He swung her around. "Baby sis!" he greeted, grinning.

Victoria kissed Brett's cheek. "Good to see you, too!"

Brett led Victoria to his car. She climbed in the front seat while Brett loaded her luggage into the trunk. "We'll only be gone five days, so we'll be back in time for Alice's wedding." Brett said, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Well, duh. I would hunt you down if you didn't come." Victoria snorted.

Brett grinned. "You would hunt me down? I'd be more afraid of Nana."

"True," Victoria agreed, "she can be scary when she's upset."

"Yeah. Remember when she locked us out of the house?" Brett replied.

"Oh yeah. But that was because we were using her records as skis to slide down the hall." Victoria said.

Brett chuckled. "Hell, I would lock my kids out if they did that to my records. They're expensive."

"You can afford it." Victoria teased.

Brett rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean I can't value my shit."

"True." Victoria said. Brett stopped at McDonald's for Victoria's lunch. She ate while Brett drove to his house. When they arrived, they found Alice's car parked out front. The siblings entered the house in comfortable silence.

"Baby V!" called Alice.

"Long time, no see." Victoria joked, giving Alice a tender hug. Alice tugged a strand of Victoria's hair in response.

"I filled Alice in, so she can tell you what to do. Thank you guys for doing this. It means a lot." said Grace.

"No problem." said Victoria, shrugging off Grace's gratitude.

Grace and Brett said goodbye to their children and left the house for their trip. Alice looked at Victoria. "This'll be interesting." Alice muttered.

Victoria laughed. "That's an understatement."

…

Spencer FaceTimed Victoria. She answered on the fourth ring. "Hey, Spence!" she greeted.

"Hey," Spencer returned, smiling. "How's babysitting going?"

"Well," began Victoria, "it's only day one and I've already broken up a fight. Other than that, it's going pretty well. I'm on baby duty right now."

"Baby duty?" Spencer repeated.

"The newest addition to the Brett Parker family is napping, so I'm just in the house while he does that. Alice is watching the kids jump on the trampoline." Victoria said.

Spencer decided to refrain from mentioning the number of trampoline-related accidents with children. "I'll be there Friday night." he promised.

"Great," said Victoria, "I'll be done by then. I don't know if Brett's flight gets in late or not, though. I might send my mom to pick you up."

"That's fine," said Spencer. "How's Jason doing?"

Victoria's face fell. "Well… He and Seth are a bit upset."

"Why's that?" Spencer asked, sitting down on his couch.

"Well, they're graduating from high school in a few weeks. Once they do, there's no reason for them to live with me. They'll move back to Shreveport until they're ready for college." Victoria answered.

Spencer's heart sank. "Oh. I'm sorry, Victoria."

Victoria shrugged, but Spencer could see she was a bit dejected. "It's okay. We knew this would happen soon enough, it's just weird that it's almost here."

"I understand," said Spencer. He was about to change the subject when the distinct cry of a baby could be heard. Victoria sighed.

"I've gotta go, Spence." she said.

"Okay. Talk to you later." Spencer said.

"I love you." Victoria opined.

"I love you, too." Spencer replied. He hung up, smiling to himself slightly. He laid down and closed his eyes for a short nap.

…

The next few days only escalated in their chaos. Victoria had to chase Wright down the street on the second day… And he had been butt naked. Why this kid could not keep his damn clothes on, Victoria didn't know. The third day had involved Victoria catching Lucy when she jumped off the countertop, dropping to the tile floor like dead weight. Victoria had leaped and caught the girl. The fourth day had resulted in both Alice and Victoria getting locked out by all four kids, who seemed to think it was very funny. Needless to say, Victoria was relieved that the fifth day had finally arrived.

She and Alice stood in the garage, watching the kids play in the street. The baby was napping. Victoria watched as Lucy left her bike in the middle of the street and tromped into the garage to get her scooter. She zipped off, staying in Victoria and Alice's line of sight as instructed. Victoria's gaze slid to an object on the wall near the children's outdoor toys. Her stomach dropped. Stretched across the corner of the garage was a massive spider's web. Right in the middle of said web was a healthy black spider with a crimson hourglass on its belly. A black widow spider. Victoria stared at it for several seconds. She couldn't let the kids get near it… Sighing, she tapped Alice and gestured to the menace.

"Oh. That's not good." she said.

Victoria nodded, looking around for a weapon. "We need to kill it."

"Yeah…" Alice did not look thrilled. Alice grabbed a broom. With the pointy end, she jabbed at the spider. It creeped up the shaft of the broom, toward Alice's hands. Alice shrieked and dropped the broom. Victoria grabbed the dustpan and smacked the spider, several times more than necessary. She examined the squashed remains of the spider. She wrinkled her nose at the guts oozing out onto the concrete.

"I got it." Victoria announced, smiling.

Alice giggled. "Alice and Victoria, spider killers!"

Victoria grinned and straightened. "We're not the heroes these kids need, but the heroes they deserve." she said in her best Batman voice.

Alice snickered. She left to check on the baby, leaving Victoria to watch the other four kids, who she had come to affectionately call Gremlins. It was Friday at last. Spencer would be arriving soon, and Victoria would get to sleep in a bed without children coming in every few seconds asking for water or bedtime story number twenty-three. At last, Brett and Grace arrived. Brett handed Victoria and Alice a wad of cash before he was attacked by his excited children. Victoria and Alice grabbed their things and left as soon as they could.

"I don't know about you, but I could sure use a nap." Alice said.

"Yeah," Victoria agreed, somewhat breathlessly. "Get your beauty sleep."

"Don't forget the dress rehearsal tonight." Alice said.

"I won't." Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm maid of honor, remember?"

"You are?" Alice teased. She dropped Victoria off at their mother's house. Victoria entered to find Gemma and Spencer chatting, cups of coffee in their hands.

"Hey! How was babysitting?" Gemma asked.

"Exhausting," Victoria replied, "I'm going to take a nap before the dress rehearsal."

"Are you going to embarrass her tonight or tomorrow?" asked Gemma.

"Tonight," said Victoria. "I'll do the heartfelt one tomorrow."

"What're you doing?" Spencer queried.

"Victoria is Alice's maid of honor. She has to do a speech at reception." Gemma explained.

"And I'm supposed to have something prepared for tomorrow, too." Victoria added, yawning slightly. She waved goodbye to her mom and boyfriend before trudging to the guest room. She collapsed on the bed and set an alarm before falling asleep.

…

Spencer grinned as Victoria took the stage at the dress rehearsal. She looked beautiful in her mint-colored dress and pink heels. She grabbed the microphone. "My sister Alice and I weren't always this close," Victoria announced. The screen behind her flashed with a picture of Victoria and Alice at an amusement park, arms around each other with big grins on their faces. "In fact, I used to be really mean to her. When she was about eight, Brett and I locked her in her closet. We had this alarm clock that would tick with each second if you set a timer. So we would set a timer for a minute or two and let it tick. We told her that when the timer stopped, she was going to blow up. Alice, of course, was horrified." Victoria paused, glancing up at the pictures on the screen. Spencer felt his lips tug with a small smile. Poor Alice. Victoria grinned. "She also hated people taking bites of her food. So, one day, we all got ice cream. Brett and I stood on either side of Alice and licked her ice cream at the same time. Alice threw a tantrum and threw her ice cream across the room." A few people chuckled. The next picture showed a young Alice in the middle of a tantrum. Spencer glanced over at Alice, who had buried her face in her hands. More pictures of Brett, Alice and Victoria flipped through the slideshow. They were all embarrassing photos of their childhood. Victoria told another story, about double bouncing Alice on the trampoline so that she would fly into a tree. Victoria's laughter subsided. "You know, I have no idea why Alice still talks to Brett and me, but I'm glad she does. Sammy, I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but you are one lucky man. You passed my tests. But you should keep in mind that I do work for the FBI, and I know how to make your death look like an accident," Victoria said. Sammy laughed. Spencer grinned, shaking his head at Victoria. She looked at Alice. "Congratulations, Alice."

Everyone toasted to the couple. Victoria joined Spencer at their table. "You did great." Spencer murmured.

Victoria smiled. "I was terrified!" Dinner was extremely laid back. Spencer chatted with Sammy while Alice and Victoria rambled on about their to-do list for tomorrow. After dinner, Spencer and Victoria returned to Gemma's house, where they shared a guest room. Spencer curled up next to Victoria. He had missed cuddling together. He had missed scary movie night with Chinese takeout. He'd missed finding new shows on Netflix to binge. He missed their coffee dates. But at least she was back home finally.

…

Victoria giggled as she helped Alice into her wedding dress. "You nervous?" Victoria asked as she adjusted Alice's veil.

"Actually, no. I'm just ready." said Alice.

Victoria gazed at her sister. "Well, it's about time. I better be godmother to your first child."

Alice laughed. "I promise," she assured Victoria, "but Spencer needs to hurry up, don't you think?"

"We've only been together for a year." Victoria pointed out.

"But you've been BFFs for half a century," Alice exaggerated.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about Spence and me. This is your day."

Alice let out a breath. "Ready?"

"Ready." Victoria confirmed. She hurried to the doors. She gave Alice a thumbs-up before grabbing her bouquet and stepping into the glass chapel. Victoria strode down the aisle, her coral dress and golden hair gleaming in the sunlight that streamed the myriad of windows of the glass chapel. Victoria felt the eyes of everyone as she walked to the pulpit. Her eyes found Spencer's. She winked at him and stood off to the side. Then came Alice.

Victoria's sister looked stunning in her ball gown wedding dress. It had spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline. A silk ribbon looped around the waist. The skirt was tasteful tulle. It billowed around her like a soft cloud. Her bouquet matched the coral and white color scheme. Her dark blonde hair was curled and danced around her shoulders. A tiara sat upon her head with the veil cascading down her back. She grinned toothily at Sammy. Victoria couldn't fight her grin spreading across her cheeks. She didn't want to fight it.

The ceremony passed in a blur. Victoria watched her sister and Sammy hurry down the aisle, hand in hand. Victoria followed, smiling. She climbed into the limo with the newlyweds. The limo brought them to the reception, where fairy lights were strung across the room. Victoria took some pictures with Alice, Sammy, Brett, Grace, Jason and Gemma. Even Nana joined for a few pictures. Music played, an odd variety of club music and indie love songs. Victoria joined her sister on the dance floor. The two goofed off, laughing until they were breathless. Sammy and Spencer joined in. Victoria grabbed Spencer's hands and rolled her shoulders around playfully. Spencer grinned and laughed, blushing for being in the spotlight. Victoria and Spencer returned to the table for Sammy and Alice to have their first dance as a married couple.

"When are you getting married, Victoria?" asked Nana.

Victoria exchanged and amused glance with Spencer. "I don't know, Nana. One day."

"Well, get on with it. I'm gonna die before you get hitched." joked Nana.

Victoria giggled. "I'll work on it, Nana."

She winked at Spencer. He frowned in confusion. "Who is she going to dance with for the father-daughter dance?" he asked.

Victoria glanced over at Alice. "Oh, she asked Brett to dance with her."

"Did she invite your dad?" Spencer asked.

"No," Victoria muttered. "I won't, either."

"Who will you dance with?" Spencer asked.

"I haven't thought that far in advance, Spence," Victoria teased gently. "Oh, it's cake time!"

Spencer and Victoria watched Alice cut her cake while Sammy cut his. They fed each other and then the cakes were divvied out. Victoria took a piece of bridal cake while Spencer took some of the groom's. They shared each other's cake. Afterward, they danced some more. At last, it was time for Alice to toss the bouquet. Victoria joined the crowd of girls to try and catch the flowers. Alice tossed the bouquet. Victoria held up Ivy, who caught the bundle of flowers. She cheered, running around the room singing that she was getting married. Victoria returned to her seat with Spencer. She was exhausted.

Alice and Sammy left the reception after the guests tossed rose petals at them. Their limo took off, now painted with "Just Married" on the back window. Victoria and Spencer trudged to his rental car. Victoria's feet were aching. Her joints popped when she sat in the passenger seat. They drove in silence to the house. Victoria didn't even bother taking off her makeup. She put on her pajamas and collapsed into bed. She was asleep within minutes.

…

Spencer awoke to the sound of a phone ringing. He lifted his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He fumbled around the nightstand and found Victoria's phone, the source of the ringing. He answered it. "Hello?" he croaked.

"Spencer?" Brett sounded confused.

"Yeah," Spencer mumbled. "Victoria's still asleep."

"Oh," said Brett, "well wake her up. Meet us at Another Broken Egg. We're all getting breakfast together."

"Okay. We'll be there soon," Spencer hung up and nudged Victoria. "V, wake up. C'mon honey."

Victoria mumbled something incoherent and nestled deeper into the pillows. "No." she said.

Spencer chuckled. "You're brother wants to get breakfast."

At the mention of food, Victoria's head popped up. "Is he buying?"

Spencer smirked. "I don't know. But you'll be with me, so you're eating free anyway."

Victoria grinned. "Okay, I'm up."

"All I have to do is mention food." Spencer sighed, shaking his head. He got dressed into jeans, which he rarely wore, and a plain blue T-shirt. He brushed his teeth once Victoria was finished in the bathroom. She looked pretty in her messy ponytail and minimal makeup. She dressed into jeans and a Star Wars T-shirt. She and Spencer jumped into the car and drove to Another Broken Egg, a quaint little breakfast café.

Victoria found Brett's table. Grace, Sammy, Alice, Gemma and Nana were all there. Victoria and Spencer sat down. "So, we have a question for the two of you." Brett said, taking a sip of his orange juice.

Spencer felt his heart sink. Were they going to ask about him marrying Victoria? "What is it?" Spencer countered.

"How would the two of you feel about taking a last minute trip to Arkansas for Lake Greeson?" asked Brett.

Spencer blinked. "When?"

"Well, we were hoping we could leave this afternoon. I rented a Mercedes Sprinter van that'll take us there, where we can rent a boat and have two days on the lake, just adults." said Brett.

"Are you serious?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah," said Brett, "you're my family. This is my wedding present for Alice. She wanted to spend time with family, so I asked if this trip would be okay. And she said yes."

Victoria glanced at Spencer. He raised his eyebrows. Victoria's eyes pleaded with him. She didn't need to give him puppy dog eyes; he already wanted to go. Spencer turned to Brett. "We're in." he said.

"Great," said Brett. "A friend of mine agreed to watch the kids."

…

A few hours later, Victoria and Spencer were packed and ready to go. The Mercedes Sprinter pulled up. Brett was at the wheel. He parked and helped Victoria and Spencer stuff their bags into the back. Victoria entered the bus. It was fantastic. It had two rows of seats facing each other. In the middle of the floor was a cooler. A TV was mounted on the back wall. Victoria sat across from Alice.

"Parker family party bus!" Victoria sang, giggling slightly.

Alice threw her hands up in the air. "Whoop whoop!"

"There's cheese, fruit and drinks in the cooler." said Grace.

"What kind of drinks?" Victoria asked.

"The good kind," said Grace, winking. Victoria opened the cooler. She opened up a green apple Smirnoff, not caring that it wasn't even five o'clock yet. Alice opened up the bag of cheese and began nibbling on some cheddar.

The drive to Lake Greeson was a mixture of laid back chats, snacks, naps and the occasional dance party. Brett played great music, some oldies, some indie and some dance music. Victoria and Alice danced to "Uptown Funk" while Spencer and Sammy exchanged bemused glances. Finally, Brett pulled up to a dirt road that wound through the trees. They reached a section of log cabins. Brett parked. He instructed each couple where they could find their key. Everyone raced off to pick a cabin. Victoria and Spencer ran to the cabin on the highest point of the area. They grabbed the key from under the doormat and entered the cabin. Victoria hurried to the back porch, which extended over the hill, overlooking the trees and lake below. She turned to grin at Spencer. He grabbed Victoria by the waist and planted a firm kiss on her lips. She laughed and the two of them unloaded their bags from the van. The couples gave themselves an hour to freshen up before dinner. Victoria took a shower and then sat on the back porch, watching the sun set while Spencer showered.

When Spencer had dressed and readied, the two strode hand in hand down the gravel road to the fourth and final cabin in their section. They knocked on the door. Brett answered, grinning. "Welcome to our humble abode," he greeted. Victoria and Spencer entered the cabin. It smelled delicious in the cabin.

"Do you need help with anything?" Victoria asked Grace, who was busy at the stove.

"Actually, yeah. If you don't mind spreading olive oil on this dough, that'd be great." Grace replied.

Victoria obliged, painting a pizza dough with olive oil. Following Grace's instructions, Victoria decorated the pizza with mozzarella cheese slices, tomato, feta cheese and Kalamata olives. Grace finished with her regular pepperoni pizza. The two women put the pizzas in the oven and set a timer. Alice and Sammy arrived next. Alice joined the other two women and began setting out sodas, water and alcoholic beverages. When Nana and Gemma finally arrived, the pizzas were ready. Grace took them out of the oven. After letting them cool, she had Brett cut the pizzas. Everyone grabbed paper plates and filled their plates with pizza. The couples swapped stories and jokes for a while. Grace poured everyone a glass of expensive wine. Victoria was feeling quite happy. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time. With a slight sinking in her stomach, she realized she had missed her family. After dinner, everyone retired for the evening. Victoria fell asleep almost immediately.

…

Spencer awoke early to help Brett and Sammy with the boat rental. They bought donuts from the restaurant across the lake. Brett drove the boat back across the lake. He docked it. Spencer carried the glazed donuts while Sammy carried the chocolate ones. They got in the van and returned to their cabins. Spencer woke up Victoria. They headed down to Brett and Grace's cabin for donuts and milk. After breakfast, everyone got dressed into their bathing suits. They slathered on sunscreen and hurried to the van. Brett drove everyone to the docks. They jumped on the boat, put on life vests and took off on the lake. Brett set up the inner tube.

"Who wants to go first?" Brett asked.

Spencer shook his head. He was not going to be the first one to go tubing. He'd rather watch. "I will!" volunteered Gemma.

"Let's go," said Victoria, getting to her feet.

"I'm going to knock you off!" threatened Brett with a wicked grin.

Victoria exchanged a glance with her mother. "I don't know if I wanna be your partner anymore." she joked. The two women got onto the tube, lying on their stomachs and gripping the straps until their knuckles turned white.

Spencer accepted a beer from Grace and twisted in his seat to watch Victoria and Gemma on the tube as Brett revved the boat and took off. He laughed as Gemma and Victoria were bounced around in the waves. Spencer widened his eyes when he saw half of Victoria's body in the water, but she pulled herself back onto the tube. Eventually, Gemma fell off. Alice and Danny had a turn. Then Danny drove the boat while Brett and Grace rode. At last, Spencer got onto the tube with Victoria.

"Hold on, he's about to whiplash us!" Victoria warned, gripping the handles. Spencer tightened his grasp. Brett liked to turn the boat abruptly and take off so that the rope attached to the inner tube was tangled and whipped into a straight line, jerking the tube violently. Sure enough, the tube jerked, nearly knocking Spencer off. Victoria let out a yelp and slid off the tube backward. The boat stopped immediately while Spencer peered down at Victoria in amusement.

"You even warned me!" he teased.

Victoria flipped him off. Spencer rolled his eyes, grinning. He helped Victoria back on the tube. This time, they didn't fall off when Brett whiplashed them. The tube bounced along the wake. Spencer found it pretty easy to hold on while the tube was directly behind the boat. But when it turned and sent the tube out of the wake, he felt as if he were being dragged across concrete. When the tube returned to the wake, it would catch a little air. Brett seemed to be doing his best to knock Victoria and Spencer off the tube. Brett sailed into the wakes of other boats, which bounced the tube up into the air. A particularly large wave loomed before them.

"Oh, shit!" cried Victoria. The tube ramped off the wave and soared at least five feet into the air. Spencer flailed, letting go of his grip on inner tube and dove headfirst into Lake Greeson. Even with his life vest on, Spencer went pretty deep beneath the surface. He emerged, coughing and spluttering, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes. He looked around. He noticed Victoria bobbing in the water several yards away. She noticed Spencer and began swimming toward him. "I'm coming, amigo!" she called.

Spencer laughed and swam toward Victoria. They reached each other, laughing about their glorious flight and fall. The boat came around to pick them up. Spencer and the others enjoyed lunch on the boat. After that, they weighed anchor in a secluded lagoon, enjoying the sunlight. Spencer climbed on top of the pontoon boat and laid on the roof. Victoria laid beside him. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a doze. After an hour or so, the Parker family resumed their inner tubing. Sunset came around and they returned to the dock. Tired from the day's events, Spencer showered in his cabin and took a short nap. Victoria stayed up reading some fantasy novel.

Spencer and Victoria headed down to Brett and Grace's cabin, where they ate cheeseburgers and homemade potato chips. Brett played some music and the adults enjoyed wine and a little dancing. Spencer returned to the cabin he shared with Victoria and nearly passed out from exhaustion, a grin spread across his face.

…

Victoria's heart sank when her trip with her family came to an end. She had missed them so much without even realizing it. And now that Jason would no longer be living with her, it would make living in Quantico ten times more difficult. But, at least she had her BAU family.

Back in Virginia, Victoria got ready for her first day on the job. She dressed professionally, but was not worried because her coworkers were her family. She waited outside the conference room, where Hotch was debriefing the team. Hotch waved her in. Victoria entered the room. Spencer, Derek, Penelope and Dave turned to look at her. "Y-you're the new profiler?" Penelope whispered.

"Surprise," Victoria joked sheepishly. "I mean, I'm only part time. I'm a profiler, but I'm also your permanent counselor."

"Oh my… Oh my… There is a God!" Penelope squealed, jumping out of her seat to envelope Victoria into a hug.

"Princess!" Derek cooed, embracing Victoria.

"Complimenti, bella!" sang David, kissing Victoria's cheeks.

Spencer strode up, an eyebrow raised. "So this is what you've been hiding."

Victoria scoffed. "Like you had any clue."

"You're dating a profiler." Spencer pointed out.

"Well guess what?" Victoria countered.

"What?" Spencer frowned.

"So are you!" Victoria snorted.

Spencer grinned. "One of my proudest accomplishments." He gave Victoria a hug that lingered a bit longer than the others.

"Welcome to the team," said Hotch, giving Victoria a brief hug. "Shall we get started?"

Victoria sat down in the chair beside Spencer, the one she used to take when she had been the team's counselor. "Let's do this."

 **…**

 **Lots of fluff this chapter, I hope you enjoyed because Season 11 is a rough one. If you have not seen Season 11, I suggest you stop reading because there will be spoilers! There. I've warned you, so don't read and then come back saying I didn't. I had that happen in one of my other stories. Anyway, Victoria's now a profiler and Season 11 has officially begun! Please review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**_The Job_**

"Weapons down, weapons down!" Spencer bellowed. He approached the man on the floor. "You mean that literally, don't you? You can't put the grenade down."  
"Yes!" said the man.  
"What'd he use?" Morgan demanded.  
"Do you have any acetone?" Spencer asked.  
"That's not gonna work!" insisted the mechanic with the grenade glued to his hands.  
"Reid, he's right. This is industrial acrylic it holds car parts together." Morgan replied.  
Rossi and the other officers talked about boxing in the unsub, but Rossi insisted the BAU was going to stay. "Four cars," muttered Spencer.  
"So?" Morgan replied.  
"Each car has a battery, right? And each battery has a substance of of 62% water and 38% sulfuric acid." Spencer said.  
"That's not gonna work." Morgan insisted.  
"Why not?" Victoria asked.  
"Because the acrylic will still stay bonded to the metal." Morgan explained.  
"Absolutely true but it will also create a soponiphication effect on his flesh. The grenade will literally slide out of his hands like a wet bar of soap." Spencer replied. "Of course there'll be an intense burning sensation and the smell will be horrendous..."  
"You're not burning my hands, you're not-!" the mechanic yelled.  
"Stay still!" Morgan snapped.  
"Hey listen, pal, you got yourself into this mess, so unless you have any better ideas, shut up." Rossi barked. "Parker, you pull with Morgan. I'll catch the grenade." Rossi instructed.  
Victoria nodded. She stood beside the mechanic, grabbing his hands. "This is gonna hurt, but you'll survive." Spencer dropped the solution onto the victom's hands. His skin sizzled, sending a putrid smell to Victoria's nostrils. She wrinkled her nose and pulled. The mechanic yowled in pain as Morgan and Victoria yanked on his hands. His hands ripped apart, and the grenade dropped in Rossi's hands.  
"Run!" Rossi yelled. Victoria felt Spencer's hand on her elbow. He ushered her to run in front of him. Victoria sprinted behind Morgan. They ran out of the garage just as the grenade exploded. Victoria skidded on the ground and crouched beside Morgan behind a patrol car. Once they were sure it was safe, Victoria and her companions stood up.  
"You okay?" Spencer asked the mechanic.  
"He'll live." Rossi muttered.  
Victoria glanced at Spencer. Her heart was pounding. She'd never been in a situation like that before. Sure, going undercover had been scary. But the grenade? Spencer seemed to notice Victoria was a bit freaked out. He crossed over to her.  
"Are you okay?" he murmured.  
"Y-yeah," Victoria replied.  
Spencer looked a bit doubtful. But he didn't press the issue. Victoria was glad he didn't. They had a job to do.

…

"Drop the gun, captain!" Spencer yelled, aiming at the captain, who had a pistol to his chin.  
"No," said the captain. Victoria rounded on the other side, gun trained on the captain.  
She met Spencer's gaze. He glanced back at the captain. Victoria heard gunshots. With a small jerk of Spencer's head, she knew not to pursue the shots. He turned his attention back to the captain. "It was all me. Betty had nothing to do with this." said the captain.  
"We know it was both of you, Phil," said Spencer, lowering his gun, "but you did what you did out of love. And Betty's only hope for leniency is if you testify on her behalf. Alright, so don't abandon her. Not when she needs you most."  
Phil lowered his gun. Spencer arrested him and led him to a patrol car and then turned to Victoria. Her lips stretched into a sheepish smile. "Well done." she praised.

"You, too." said Spencer. He tilted his head. "You okay? You looked a bit shaken after the grenade."

"Yeah," said Victoria, "I just… I didn't expect my first case to be so dramatic."

Spencer snorted. "Well… It's part of the job."

"Yeah, you'd think I'd know that by now, after all the time I've spent around you assholes." Victoria joked, nudging Spencer with her shoulder. He nudged her back. They strode over to Morgan, who was getting checked on by an EMT after his scuffle with the unsub.

"How'd you like your first case, Parker?" Morgan asked.

"It was spectacular," said Victoria flatly.

Morgan chuckled. He thanked the EMT. "So, I could use some dinner."

"Oh, I was hoping one of you'd be hungry because I could gnaw my own arm off." Victoria said.

Spencer grinned. "Gnawing it off wouldn't actually help your hunger, you know."

"Shut up," said Victoria, shoving Spencer playfully, "Captain Obvious."

Once they were out of sight of any officers and agents, Spencer kissed Victoria's cheek lightly. Morgan pretended to gag. "Ugh, you guys, get a room."

"Oh, you are one to talk," said Victoria.

"Oh yeah?" Morgan taunted with a grin.

"Yeah, I seem to recall some instances where you and Savannah had your tongues down each other's throats." said Victoria.

"And I can back that claim up because I have an eidetic memory." added Spencer.

Morgan rolled his eyes as he climbed into the driver's seat of their SUV. "Well, we're a hot couple."

Victoria snorted as she climbed into the back with Spencer. "You're an ass, that's what you are." she said.

"I'm a what?" demanded Morgan.

"I said you're high class." Victoria lied.

Spencer chuckled and shook his head. He weaved his fingers with Victoria's as they rode back to the bullpen. Spencer glanced at Victoria, who was watching the scenery flash past the window. Lights rolled across her face and Spencer noticed the frown tugging at her lips. Her shoulders were slumped. Spencer bit his lip. Why did she look so sad? After arriving at the bullpen, they decided to go eat. Penelope bounced with excitement, insisting they needed to celebrate their victory and two new team members. Dr. Tara Lewis joined them at Waffle House. Spencer decided to ask about what was bothering Victoria later.

…

"How you hold in' up, kiddo?" Rossi asked, sipping at his water.  
"I'm all right," Victoria insisted. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. The case had not bothered her much at all. The grenade had been terrifying, but the scenario wouldn't haunt her dreams.  
"Are you sure you're okay? You look a little pale." Penelope prompted gently.  
"I'm always pale," Victoria attempted to joke.  
Morgan chuckled, but Hotch knit his brow. "Parker, what's going on?"  
"Was it the case?" Spencer murmured.  
Victoria shook her head. "The case was fine," she said. Everyone stared at her, waiting for a 'but'. Victoria's shoulders slumped and her eyes filled with tears. "My grandmother's cancer showed back up in CAT scan the other day."  
"Oh, V," said Penelope, her own eyes pooling with tears. "I'm so sorry."  
Victoria shrugged and shook her head. She blinked spastically to clear her eyes of tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "We knew this would happen... I mean, when she was diagnosed, the doctor gave us six years, but... It seemed like the radiation treatment had been working. She's been in remission for almost a year now. I thought..." she trailed off.  
"Nothing can ever prepare you," said Hotch. He looked sympathetic. "Parker, if you need to take any time..."  
"No," said Victoria firmly, "I... I want to save my days."  
"Okay, well, let me know if you need anything." Hotch said, his tone gentle.  
Victoria nodded. She felt Spencer the her hand underneath the table. She squeezed his hand, letting him know she was thankful for his support. They changed the subject, moving on to happier topics, like JJ's new baby.  
After dinner, Victoria drove home to her empty house. She walked inside, her footsteps echoing on the floor. It was strange not having Jason and Seth around. It left a vaguely empty feeling in her chest. Her dogs, Lumos and Nox, hurried up to her, yapping and wagging their tails. Victoria smiled and crouched in front of them.  
"Hey, babies! I know, I haven't seen you in a while! Did Miss Sophie take care of you? You guys need to go potty?" Victoria stood and led her dogs to the front door. She opened it to see a figure standing there. "Ah!" she yelped.  
"Sorry," said Spencer, smiling.  
Victoria placed a hand over her heart. "Fuck, Spence..."  
Spencer leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Thought I'd surprise you."  
"You succeeded," Victoria said, shaking her head. She glanced past Spencer to watch her dogs. "Seriously, Lumos? You couldn't make it to the grass? Why do you piss on the concrete? God, she's so stupid." Victoria rolled her eyes. She let Spencer in and called her dogs back inside. They bounded over the threshold, panting and whining.  
"They act like you never show them attention," said Spencer as Nox jumped into his lap.  
"They're little attention whores." Victoria said.  
She sat beside Spencer on the couch. She leaned her head on his shoulder. He draped his free arm over Victoria's shoulders. "I'm sorry about Nana." he murmured.  
Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "It's not your fault."  
"I know," said Spencer, "but... There's not much I can say to make you feel better but... You know I'm here if you need me, right?"  
"I know," Victoria said, smiling slightly. She nuzzled closer to her boyfriend and let out a small sigh.  
"I'm tired." Spencer yawned.  
"Same," Victoria said. She bit her lip. "You wanna stay?"  
"I thought that was obvious," Spencer teased, "with my showing up here late at night when it's almost an hour drive to my apartment."  
Victoria tickled Spencer's side. He jerked away with a small chuckle. "Smart ass," Victoria said. She got up and went to her closet. Spencer stepped outside to grab his bag. Victoria changed it into her pajamas and crawled into her bed. Spencer entered the room, dressed in his pajamas, and joined her. Victoria snuggled close to him. "Did you lock the front door?" she asked.

"I did," Spencer assured her, placing a gentle kiss to her temple. Victoria relaxed. After several minutes of her mind racing about Nana, Victoria drifted into a restless slumber.

 **…**

 **So, Season 11 does not have full episodes on the website from the beginning of the season, so I've gotten certain scenes off YouTube, but I don't want to download from any other sites because that'll crash my computer… There are only a few episodes I really want to focus on, anyway. I don't know why I told you all that. Lol. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and continue to enjoy Season 11… Please review!**


	32. Chapter 32

**_A Return and a Departure_**

JJ's return had the team bouncing with excitement, despite the missing girl case. Spencer was glad to have his little family back together. And yet… He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with his mother. The meds the institution had put her on should not be agitating her so much, and yet they were. He had voiced his distress to JJ, but he had yet to tell Victoria. He wasn't exactly sure why.

"Spence, call your mom. Go visit her." said JJ.

Spencer looked up. He glanced toward where Victoria was chatting with Garcia and Morgan. He looked back at JJ. "What if it's too real for her and she… she backs out?" he asked.

JJ tilted her head. "Spence," she scolded, "Parker isn't going anywhere. She knows about your mom. You didn't back out when Korey showed his true colors."

"But I did," Spencer insisted. He pursed his lips. "I kept my distance from her."

"Don't push her away now," JJ said. Spencer nodded. "Are you going to call your mom?"

Spencer hesitated, thinking it over. He had plenty of vacation time and some sick days… He nodded. JJ's smile was radiant as she packed her things. Spencer dialed the institution's number and requested to speak with his mother. "Mom? Hey, it's Spencer…" he said.

"Spencer? How are you?" said Diana.

"I'm great," Spencer said, smiling, "how would you like for me to visit for a few days?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful." said Diana.

Spencer smiled. He glanced over at Victoria. "Hey, how would feel about me bringing a friend?"

"What friend?" asked Diana.

"My girlfriend," said Spencer, "Victoria."

"Victoria…" Diana trailed off, as if she were thinking.

Spencer frowned. "I told you about her, Mom."

"Y-yes, I remember. That would be all right, Spencer." said Diana.

Spencer smiled. "Great. I'll see you soon."

"Love you, Spencer." said Diana.

"Love you, too." Spencer replied. He hung up and grabbed his messenger bag. He strode over to Victoria, who was waiting for him by the elevator.

"How was she?" she asked.

Spencer pursed his lips. "I think I'm going to go see her for a while."

Victoria nodded. "She'd love that." Victoria pressed the button to summon the elevator.

Spencer drew in a long breath. "Would you like to go with me?"

Victoria looked at him, eyes wide. "Really?"

Spencer looked at his shoes. "I mean, if you don't want to, you don't have to, I understand. I just thought that we've been dating for a while and it might be nice if you met my mother."

"Spence," Victoria said quickly before Spencer could continue rambling, "I'd be happy to go with you."

Spencer smiled in relief. "R-really? I, uh, I mean… That's great."

Victoria rolled her eyes at him. "Damn, this elevator is freaking slow." She pressed the button again.

Spencer scrunched his lips. "You know, hitting the button frequently doesn't actually make it go any faster."

Victoria raised a brow at him. "Yeah, but it gives me satisfaction." She pressed it again, hitting it rapidly. Spencer chuckled and pushed her hand away from the button.

"Stop," he chortled.

The elevator dinged with its arrival. "Oh look, I made it go faster." Victoria sang. Spencer rolled his eyes and followed her onto the elevator.

"You're ridiculous." he commented.

"Yeah, but you love me for it." replied Victoria.

"I do," Spencer agreed, stealing a quick kiss on her cheek.

Victoria feigned offense. "How dare you," she gasped, her eyes flicking to the top corner of the elevator, "there are cameras!"

Spencer smirked. "I'm much taller than you. They probably don't know what they saw."

Victoria simpered. "Living life on the edge, Dr. Reid."

Spencer rolled his eyes and nudged her playfully with his elbow. They exited the elevator. Spencer walked Victoria to her car. "So, we'll ask Hotch for some time off tomorrow?" he asked.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. How much time were you thinking?"

"I have a lot of vacation days stacked up, so I was thinking about two weeks." said Spencer.

Victoria frowned. "I might not take off that much," she said, "I want to save some of my days in case…"

Spencer's chest clenched. "I understand, sweetheart," he said, pulling her close to him. She rested her head against his chest. "It'll be okay."

He felt Victoria nod against his chest. "C-can I stay with you tonight? I don't feel like being alone." she murmured.

Spencer squeezed her closer. "Of course."

He left Victoria to drive to his apartment and headed for his own car. He drove in silence, not even bothering to turn on the radio. He parked his car. Before getting out, he checked the glove compartment to make sure it was still there. His shoulders relaxed when he saw the small, red velvet box. He pulled it out and opened it, examining the engagement ring glinting in the moonlight. He smiled to himself before putting it away. He grabbed his bag and slid out of the car. He locked it and headed for his apartment building. Victoria was already inside, sitting at the top of the stairs. She smiled softly when he reached her. She stood and waited for him to unlock the door. Spencer put his things away in their proper place.

"Would you like some tea?" he called, striding into the kitchen and flipping the light on.

"No thanks," said Victoria. Spencer froze, hearing the catch in his girlfriend's voice. He moved out of the kitchen to find Victoria curled up on the couch, staring into space. Spencer pursed his lips and crossed over to her. He crouched in front of her, forcing her out of her daze. She blinked and met his gaze. "Sorry. I was just thinking."

"I know," Spencer murmured, "I know it's hard. But she's still here. You still have time with her."

"I know. I just… It's not fair. Sometimes I feel like I can't get a fucking break. I… Shit, I'm sorry. I'm complaining." Victoria put her face in her hands.

Spencer grabbed her wrists gently. "I know how you feel. And you can complain to me anytime you want. Victoria, you're my best friend. I'm yours, too. I want you to tell me anything."

Victoria looked at him at last, her eyes full of fat tears. "I'm not ready for her to die, Spence."

Spencer's heart twisted. "I know, baby," he murmured, "but you'll never be ready. And that's okay. It just means that you love her. It's always hard when something like this happens to a loved one. We can't control what happens. We can only enjoy the time we have. I'll be here every step of the way."

Victoria nodded, but her face crumpled as she dissolved into tears. Spencer moved to sit beside her. He pulled her close to him and laid back. He held her as she sobbed into his chest. He stroked her hair to calm her. At last, her cries seemed to subside. But they didn't move from the couch. Spencer felt his eyelids growing heavier until he drifted into sleep.

The next day, they headed in for work together. Spencer always found it difficult not to hold Victoria's hand into work, but he would sacrifice showing her off as his in order to keep her with him on the team. He strode with her to Hotch's office. "Hotch, can we have a moment?" Spencer asked, poking his head into the office.

Hotch looked up from his paperwork. "Of course."

Spencer led Victoria into the office and took a seat across from Hotch, Victoria following suit. "My mom is having some difficulty with her new meds. I have a lot of vacation days saved. Would it be all right if I took off work to take care of her?" Spencer asked.

Hotch blinked. "Reid, you know you don't need to ask permission. If you have the vacation days, you can just let me know. Go take care of your mom."

Spencer nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"I don't see what Parker has to do with this." Hotch said, glancing at Victoria.

"I was wondering if I could go with him. I haven't met his mother yet and I have some vacation time, too." said Victoria.

"I thought you wanted to save your time off?" Hotch queried.

"I do," said Victoria, "which is why I won't be taking as much time as him."

Hotch nodded. "Okay. When do you two leave?"

"This weekend." Spencer replied.

Hotch gave a small smile. "Just send me an e-mail with the days you'll be gone and get your paperwork done. Have a good trip, guys."

"Thank you, sir." Spencer said, standing. Victoria grinned in reply.

"Reid, can I speak with you a moment alone?" Hotch asked.

Victoria took her cue to leave and exited the room. Spencer watched her go before turning to Hotch with his hands in his pockets. "I haven't asked her yet." Spencer said.

Hotch smirked. "I know," he said, "but I was wondering if you were going to do it in Vegas."

Spencer looked around. "Has the whole team guessed that much?"

Hotch tilted his head, barely containing his smirk. "More or less."

Spencer sighed. "Do you think she knows? She's a profiler now, too."

"I think we've been discreet." said Hotch.

"Profilers are never discreet around each other." Spencer replied.

"Even if she does suspect, she'll be overjoyed." said Hotch. "Good luck."

"Thanks," said Spencer, offering a nervous grimace that was supposed to be a smile. He reentered the bullpen and took his seat at his desk. Victoria was already sifting through paperwork and case files across from him, her glasses slipping down to the end of her nose. Spencer felt his lips twitch in amusement as Victoria pushed her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose.

"What did Hotch want?" Victoria asked.

Spencer dipped down to put case files on his desk, thinking up a response as he did so. "Just wanted to make sure my mom was okay."

Victoria nodded. She paused in her work, her lips scrunching to one side. "I'm sure she's fine, Spence. It'll be okay."

Spencer nodded quickly, pursing his lips in a grim smile. "I know."

…

The weekend could not have arrived fast enough. Victoria was bouncing up and down as they retrieve their bags from baggage claim. She had never been to Las Vegas. Spencer hailed a taxi and helped load their luggage into the trunk. Victoria slid into the backseat. Spencer watched her in amusement as she gazed out the window like a child, examining desert scenery as it flew past. At last, they breached the city.

Victoria had been to big cities before, but the sight of Spencer's hometown was overwhelming. The sun was sinking into the horizon, casting a red glow across the sky. But the sleepless city still shone brightly. Even in the dusk, the lights twinkled like galaxy in a dark, empty universe. The taxi pulled up to their hotel, the Marriott, and parked in front. Spencer paid the driver and unloaded their luggage. Victoria rolled her bag through the revolving door and entered the lobby. Spencer checked into the room. Then, they headed up for room 2407. They entered the room and Victoria's mouth popped open.

An open area with off-white carpet greeted them. A dining area was positioned toward the right, with a light wood table and golden chairs. A white couch sat in the back, facing a large flat-screen TV. Behind the dining area was a kitchenette. To the left was a set of double doors. Victoria opened them to reveal the king sized bed, adorned with fluffy white pillows and a matching comforter. She strode to the curtained windows. She flung open the white drapes to expose a desert view. She turned back to Spencer, who was leaning against the doorframe.

"Is this okay?" he asked, looking around.

"Spence, this is awesome. You didn't have to do this. I would've been fine sleeping in a tent on the Strip." Victoria replied.

Spencer made a face at her. "I would not be okay with that."

Victoria laughed and hurried over to him. She weaved her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you for inviting me." she murmured.

Spencer squeezed her in reply. "Wanna go to dinner? I was thinking the SW Steakhouse. We could eat and watch the water show."

Victoria tilted her head up to peer at Spencer. "Okay. I have to shower first. Traveling always makes me feel gross."

"You don't look gross." Spencer murmured, kissing Victoria's forehead.

Victoria hummed a chuckle. "Thanks." She kissed Spencer's jaw and then headed over to her bag. She dug through her clothes until she found a dressier outfit. Then, she disappeared into the bathroom to shower.

After she was clean, Victoria dried her hair. She put on a little foundation, some lip gloss and mascara and eyeliner. Then, she slipped on her mint sweater and then pulled on her white and navy polka dotted skirt. She slid her feet into mint heels and then exited the bathroom. Spencer looked up from his book. "You look beautiful." he said.

Victoria smiled. "Thank you," she said, crossing over to him, "you don't look so bad yourself." It was true. Spencer looked great in his brown trousers, button down and red tie.

"Ready?" Spencer asked, getting up.

"Mhm." Victoria replied. She grabbed her purse while Spencer put his wallet into his pocket. Victoria intertwined her fingers with Spencer's as they stepped off the elevator. They walked past the bar and headed for the lobby.

"Victoria?" called a man.

Victoria and Spencer stopped and turned. Victoria frowned. Her eyes found the source and her heart stuttered in her chest. "Shit." she hissed.

"What?" Spencer asked.

The man walked forward. His thick, dark hair was peppered with grey on the sides. Wrinkles around his eyes suggested he smiled frequently, but that didn't deter the sick rising in Victoria's throat. She hadn't seen him in years. His face was covered with a thick beard, which was also peppered with grey. Victoria's stomach decided it was a circus and began swooping like a trapeze artist. "I haven't seen you in a long time." said the man.

Victoria stared at him, her lips parted. Her mouth had gone dry. A squeeze from Spencer reminded her that she hadn't said anything. "Yeah." she croaked. _Clever response._

"Uh, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," said Spencer, dropping Victoria's hand. She glanced at him, her heart racing. _No, no, don't let go!_ Spencer shook the bearded man's hand.

"I'm Paul Black, Victoria's father." said the man.

Victoria cringed inwardly. "Oh," said Spencer, slipping his hand back into Victoria's.

"Are you two… an item?" asked Paul, gesturing between Victoria and Spencer.

"Yes." Victoria replied, squaring her shoulders.

"What happened to you and Korey?" asked Paul.

"Didn't work out," said Victoria shortly.

Paul frowned. "Last I heard, you two were engaged."

"Yeah, well, his trying to kill me kind of broke us up." Victoria snapped.

Paul widened his eyes. "I didn't know, Vicky…"

Victoria recoiled. "Of course you wouldn't know! You've had no say in my life."

"You wanted it that way!" insisted Paul.

"Because you couldn't keep your hands off me!" Victoria snarled.

Paul looked around anxiously. "Keep your voice down!"

"Oh, you don't want anyone to know? Everyone knows that's why you can't show your face in Louisiana." said Victoria.

"Vicky, please," Paul begged, "I don't want to fight. Look, I have a meeting, but here's my card. Call my cell. I'm in Vegas for two more days. Let's have dinner."

Victoria took the card. "We'll see."

"Nice meeting you, Dr. Reid." said Paul. He turned and headed for the elevators. Victoria was frozen in place, staring after her dad.

"Victoria? Are you okay?" Spencer's voice sounded faraway, as if he were calling to her from one side of a tunnel.

Victoria blinked back tears and squared her shoulders. "Yeah. Let's go get some food."

…

Spencer turned his attention away from the water show. Victoria was watching it, but she wasn't seeing it. Her eyes were glazed over, the way they were whenever she was lost in thought. "Talk to me." he said.

Victoria looked around. "There's nothing to talk about."

Spencer scowled. "Victoria, I'm not your dad."

"I never said you were." Victoria insisted.

"You didn't have to." Spencer said gently.

Victoria looked at the table. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I just…" She glanced up sharply. "Don't profile me."

"I'm not." Spencer promised.

Victoria drew in a shuddering breath. "Of all the places to run into him…"

"I know," said Spencer, reaching across the table to take Victoria's hand, "but at least you weren't alone."

Victoria's lips twitched. "Yeah."

"Are you going to call him?" Spencer asked.

Victoria shrugged. "I don't know."

"You don't have to if you're not ready." said Spencer.

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "Most people would tell me to do it because he's my father."

Spencer pursed his lips to flaunt his famous frog face. "I know what it's like to choose not to be close with your father."

A few fat tears escaped Victoria's eyes and splashed down her cheeks. "Having him back in my life is the last thing I need right now." With that, she tore her father's business card into pieces.

…

Victoria examined herself in the mirror. She smoothed the light brown sweater over her flannel shirt. Her light-jeans were rolled at the ankles and her feet were covered in brown flats. Her hair was loosely curled and she wore enough makeup to accentuate her features but not give her a whole new face. Her palms were sweaty, so she wiped them on her jeans.

"Do you think she'll like me?" Victoria asked.

"She'll love you," Spencer murmured, planting a kiss on Victoria's cheek. "Ready?"

No. No, no, no, no, no and no. "Yep." Victoria chirped. They headed out of the hotel and hailed a cab. Victoria fiddled with her sweater hem the whole ride to Bennington Sanitarium. Together, they headed inside. Victoria rolled back and forth on the balls of her feet while Spencer discussed his mother's medical concerns with a nurse.

"I'll talk to her first, then you can meet her, okay?" Spencer said.

Victoria nodded. Oh God, what if Diana hated her? What if she thought that Victoria wasn't smart enough? Pretty enough? Skinny enough? What if Diana's disapproval was a deal breaker for Spencer? She glanced over at Spencer and his mom to see Spencer waving her over. Shit, how long had he been trying to get her attention?

Victoria walked over and sat across from Diana. "Mom, this is Victoria, my girlfriend." Spencer said gently.

Diana scrutinized Victoria with sharper eyes than the latter had expected. "Victoria," drawled Diana, rolling the name on her tongue. She looked as if she were trying to decide if she liked the taste or not. "A name meaning victory. Do you live up to your name, Victoria?"

Victoria blinked. "I hope so."

"Considering what Spencer has told me about you, I'd say you do."

"Well… Thank you, ma'am." said Victoria.

"Such southern manners," chirped Diana, "You come from the South, don't you?"

"Yes ma'am," chuckled Victoria softly, "my mother would have my hide if she knew I weren't using my manners."

"Good woman," said Diana. "Tell me about yourself, Victoria."

"What would you like to know?" Victoria countered.

"Do you enjoy reading, my dear?" asked Diana.

"Yes ma'am," said Victoria. She glanced at Spencer, who offered a tiny smile in reply.

"What do you enjoy reading, dear?" Diana prompted.

Victoria's cheeks flushed. "Er, mostly fiction."

"Fiction?" Diana frowned.

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "But Einstein once said that while knowledge is limited, imagination is not."

"Indeed he did," said Diana, sounding impressed.

"I also read some poetry, but I'd rather write it than read it." said Victoria.

"What poetry do you like?" asked Diana.

"William Blake and Emily Dickinson are nice… But my favorite is 'In a Station of the Metro' by Ezra Pound." Victoria replied, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Ah, that is a lovely choice. The beauty of it is in its simplicity." said Diana.

"Yes ma'am." Victoria agreed.

They continued to discuss poetry, lingering on Emily Dickinson's "There's A Certain Slant of Light" and debating what the light actually referred to before the nurses decided Diana needed rest. Victoria embraced Diana farewell. "I enjoyed our time together, Victoria." said Diana.

"I enjoyed it too," said Victoria with soft smile. Spencer embraced his mother and then led Victoria out of Bennington.

"That went well," said Spencer. There was no hint of sarcasm in his tone. Victoria felt herself relax.

"Your mother is a very intimidating woman." she said.

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"She's so smart," said Victoria, shaking her head.

Spencer stopped. "Victoria, so are you."

"Not like that," Victoria retorted.

Spencer's lips scrunched. "Doesn't mean you're not…"

"I'm not saying I'm not," said Victoria, "I just know my limitations."

Spencer nodded. "Want to get something to eat?"

Victoria nodded. They hailed a cab and rode to a bakery-style restaurant. They were seated almost immediately. Victoria frowned. Spencer had not spoken since they left the sanitarium. "Spence? Everything okay?"

Spencer stared at the table. "I think I know why she's been so aggravated lately," he muttered. Victoria's frown deepened as she waited for him to continue. "When I got there, I… I saw it."

"Saw what?" Victoria prompted gently.

Spencer looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "My mom didn't recognize me for a few seconds."

Victoria's heart dropped. "Spence…"

Spencer looked back at the table and wrinkled his nose as he held back his tears. "I'm going to have her tested to be sure, but… It makes sense. Dementia and the meds she's taking currently are not cooperative."

Victoria had no idea what to say. She leaned back in her chair and stared at the table. "Well… You could be wrong."

"I don't think I am." Spencer croaked.

"Even if you're right, just know that… I'll be by your side the whole time, okay? I know that's not saying much, but… I'm here. You're not alone." Victoria whispered.

Spencer looked at her and smiled sadly. "It actually means a lot to me, Victoria."

"I love you, Spence." Victoria said.

Spencer half-smiled. "I love you, too."

 **…**

 **So, Season 11 is officially on Netflix! I'm sure some of you haven't seen it yet, but now that it's there, I feel safe posting again. Next chapter will DEFINITELY have spoilers. It'll be about the episode entitled "Entropy" (it's the 11** **th** **episode, I think). However, it won't be up for at least a week or two. Anyway, please review guys!**


	33. Chapter 33

**_Entropy_**

 **Spoilers if you haven't seen Season 11, episode 11!**

Spencer stopped in front of the park by Morgan's house. He watched a young mother push her son on the swing. He tilted his head, his heart twisting in his chest as he imagined his own mother doing the same. A sprinkler watered the grass nearby in Spencer's memory, the water droplets shimmering like fish scales in the sunlight. He remembered glancing back at his mother, smiling. She wore a grin, her blonde hair long and hanging past her shoulders in soft curls.

Spencer blinked and swallowed the lump in his throat, pulling himself from the memory. He walked to Morgan's house and knocked on the door. Morgan answered, his face breaking out into a grin. "Reid! It's great to see you, man." said Morgan. He held up his fist and Spencer gripped it with his whole hand. Morgan chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you!" greeted Savannah, entering the room, "I know you're not a hugger, but…" Savannah enveloped Spencer into a hug.

"Hey, paws off my girl." said Morgan.

"I have the files you asked for," said Savannah, giving Morgan a kiss. She handed Spencer a folder. He quickly put into his messenger bag.

"Thank you." Spencer said.

"And you know I love you." said Savannah to Morgan.

"I love you, too." said Morgan.

"Forever?" Savannah murmured.

"Forever, forever." Morgan promised.

Spencer smiled to himself. It faded when he thought of Victoria. Would he have that with her? Dementia was hereditary. Spencer had a chance of developing it. What would happen to Victoria if he forgot her? His eyes burned but he blinked any tears away furiously.

"Ready for tonight, man?" Morgan asked, finally disentangling himself from Savannah.

Spencer let out a long breath. "Yeah. I think we've prepared enough."

"How's Victoria?" asked Savannah, "I know this can't be easy for her, knowing what you're about to do."

"We've been very careful not to appear as a couple for the past week and a half. Neither of us like it," said Spencer, "and yeah, she's not happy. Hotch took her out of the field. She's going to be monitoring with Hotch and Garcia."

"That's never easy," said Morgan, shaking his head, "especially when someone you love is there and you can't be."

"She understands," said Spencer, "she wouldn't have a clear head in the field, and neither would I."

"Well, we've gotta get going." said Morgan, checking his watch.

"Be careful you guys." said Savannah, planting a kiss on Morgan's lips. Spencer waved in farewell and headed to his car. He drove to the BAU, where he would change and put a wire on his tie.

When he arrived, the team reviewed their plan for the night, and the backups should the first one fail. Spencer hurried to the bathroom and changed. He stepped out, tying his tie. Victoria stepped up to him when he was done. "Spence… Please be safe." she whispered.

Spencer met her gaze. He placed a hand on her cheek. "I promise I will. I love you."

"I love you, too." Victoria wrapped her arms around his waist. He hugged her back and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. His stomach twisted. How many years did they have together before his memory started shattering? How long before she decided she couldn't handle the weight that came with dementia? Spencer pulled away, blinking back the burning in his eyes. Tears in Victoria's eyes reflected the tension between them, but hers was out of concern, not fear of forgetting. Spencer turned and headed for the elevator, his heart pounding.

…

"If she sticks to the pattern, she'll take him to a secondary location and kill him." JJ's voice muttered in Victoria's earpiece.

"We won't let it get that far," came Rossi's voice, "Hotch, do you have a visual?"

"Reid, we've got you over her left shoulder. Copy?" Hotch replied, eyeing Garcia's screen.

Spencer's eyes glanced toward the camera and he gave a small nod and tap of his fingers to signal that he copied. Hotch ordered the other agents to wait for Reid's green light. Victoria heard Cat Adams ask about Spencer's fake wedding ring. He confirmed it was twenty-four karats.

"Twenty-four k… Times four years… Means this ring should be dinged up but this sucker is brand new. You're not married. Why are we here, Spencer?" There was a distinct click.

Victoria caught her breath. "Was that what it sounded like?" whispered Garcia.

"Everybody hold." Hotch replied.

Victoria put a hand over her mouth. She held her breath, waiting for Spencer to respond. "We're here because you belong to a network of four hitmen who work in the shadows of the Internet. You're known as Miss Forty-five. My team and I have been hunting you for months and I knew if we could box you in, we could arrest you with as little resistance as possible." Spencer replied.

"Your team being the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI?" Cat Adams purred. Victoria watched Spencer nod. "You guys are good. You're the only ones who've gotten close to us. But… We got kinda close to you, didn't we?" Cat leaned in toward Spencer. "Hi, Penelope."

Garcia gasped. Victoria rested a hand on Garcia's shoulder in hope of comforting her friend. But Victoria could hardly keep herself from shaking, let alone comfort Penelope.

"Do you know why I'm so good at my job?" Cat asked.

"Because you kill without compunction and remorse." replied Spencer.

"That only gets a girl so far in life," said Cat, "I analyze every situation and think of every possible outcome and then act accordingly. You see, I didn't walk into your trap. You walked into mine."

Victoria bit her lip, thinking of the gun Cat had trained on her boyfriend beneath the table. If she lost him… Victoria inhaled sharply. No. She would not allow herself to think about it. Spencer was silent. Out of defiance or lost in thought, Victoria was not sure.

Cat seemed to grow bored of her stare down with Spencer. "Where's your head, Spencer?" Cat slid around the booth so that she was next to Spencer. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about entropy," said Spencer. Victoria narrowed her eyes as Cat's hand roamed across Spencer's shirt. "It's the thermodynamic measure of degradation of matter and energy in the universe to put it another _way_!" Spencer ended in a small yelp as Cat's hand traveled south and plucked Spencer's gun from his waistline.

"There's your gun." said Cat with a grin. Victoria clenched her teeth. Hotch put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Ready?" asked the waiter.

"You know, we've actually had so much fun getting to know one another that we'll let you know when we're ready." said Cat. The waiter dipped his head and left. "Now that we got that out of the way, could you tell Blondie McBlonderson at the bar over there to disappear?"

"JJ, stand down." said Hotch. JJ packed her things and left the bar.

"Thanks for playing, sweetie." said Cat with a sugary smile. Victoria rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to flip off the screen.

"If she realizes how many agents we have stationed, she'll start shooting. Dave, get ready to take her out." Hotch said.

"All right, you're in charge. Tell me what you want and I'll see if I can get it here for you." said Spencer.

"Anything I want?" purred Cat.

"Anything." Spencer confirmed.

"Like a million unmarked bills, safe passage out of here and a plane to Aruba?" said Cat.

"Is that what you want?"

"And you'll say you'll bring it here in hopes of distracting from the –what I'm sure is –the very impressive law enforcement response waiting outside those doors. Is that the plan?" Cat countered.

"That's the plan." Spencer replied.

"Okay, let's talk, but let's talk about something interesting. Tell me about me." said Cat.

"You? You're a black widow hit woman. You specialize in seduction and you're patient. You learn everything you can about the men you kill –physically, emotionally psychologically –because you want them in as compromised position as you can get them when you pull the trigger." Spencer said.

"And when I do it really well they pull the trigger themselves," Cat snapped. She seemed to catch her arousal about her own killing methods. Biting her lip, she eyed Spencer. Victoria tensed. Her stomach roiled at the hungry look in Cat's eyes. "Give me your phone." Cat said.

"Why?" Spencer countered.

"Because I know what I want now. I wanna play a game with you. Do you like games?" simpered Cat.

"I do." said Spencer.

"Do you win?" Cat queried.

"I always win." Spencer replied.

Cat smirked. "Gimme your phone." Spencer handed over his phone. Cat hesitated, seeing his lockscreen of Victoria and him on a date. Victoria held her breath. "Okay, here's my game," said Cat as if nothing had happened, "you have thirty minutes to answer every question I ask. And if you lie, I'll know. Because I've spent the last ten years of my life studying men and their lies. Do you believe me?"

"I do."

"That was true, you're getting this. Now, if you win, you get to drag me outta here in handcuffs. If I win, you'll escort me out like a gentleman to make sure I exit safely. What do you say, Spencer? Think you can win this one?" Cat murmured.

Spencer gestured Cat forward. "Considering everything you put Garcia and so many people through, you are going to have to shoot me in the face before you walk out of here." he seethed.

Victoria gasped as Cat leaned back in her seat, smug simper toying at her lips. "Game on."

"Oh boy…" Garcia groaned. Victoria put her face in her hands and began pacing the room, listening to Cat's questions and Spencer's answers. Gradually, Victoria began to relax. It seemed Spencer was winning the game.

"This isn't exactly a job you can take time off to visit your… mother? It's gotta be your mother." said Cat.

"That's not relevant." said Spencer.

"Spencer." barked Cat. "Why did you take time off from the FBI?"

"You don't get everything you want just because you're pointing a gun at me under the table," snapped Spencer. "You're not the first killer to point a gun at me. You're not even the first woman to point a gun at me. Sorry."

Cat smirked. "You're really gonna take this all the way, aren't you?"

Victoria held her breath. "I am." said Spencer.

"Dave, go!" Hotch said.

"So am I." Cat said, sliding around to Spencer again. She grabbed him by the tie and muffled his mic. Victoria leaned forward, watching anxiously. Spencer seemed to raise his voice, leaving Cat looking satisfied.

"Rossi, stand down," Spencer said. He glanced back at Rossi, who had stopped in his tracks, loaded gun hidden beneath his coat. "Please." Rossi nodded to Spencer and left. Spencer faced Cat and fixed his tie, staring at the table. "My mother has schizophrenia. They switched her medication, which seemed to agitate her, so I went to the center to help her."

"That's it?" Cat didn't seem fazed.

"That's it." said Spencer.

"You just risked your life over mommy's pills?" Cat scoffed.

"That's the truth." Spencer replied.

"That's part of the truth. You're holding something back," said Cat. She sighed and tapped Spencer's phone. "I'm going to penalize you by adding ten minutes. But I did learn something important."

"What's that?" Spencer asked.

"Your backup," said Cat, "I flushed them out."

"Guess again, bitch," muttered Tara's voice through Victoria's earpiece.

"So, we left off with you finding the snowman…" said Cat.

Spencer jumped back into the story, describing how they found and rescued the snowman and took down the two male hitmen, the Sniper and the Chemist. Victoria barely heard the conversation. She hated Spencer being in the thick of so much danger. She despised the seductress beside him, the woman who had threatened Penelope's life and now Spencer's. Cat seemed to falter when Spencer mentioned her father.

"You do everything you do because you can't get to the man you really want to hurt." Spencer muttered.

"So I'm just another girl with daddy issues?" scoffed Cat.

"You'd be surprised how many killers do what they do because of their parents," said Spencer. "How hard did you look for him?"

"Very hard." choked Cat.

"And how disappointed were you when you couldn't find him, and you knew you would never be able to hurt him the way he hurt you?" Spencer said. Cat kept her mouth shut. "Everything eventually falls apart. The trick is accepting when it's over." Spencer muttered. Victoria frowned. Something about that phrase sickened her. It was as if Spencer was willing to give up easily. She jumped when the timer went off. She shook off her anxiety at Spencer's words. Everything was fine. He would be okay… No need to accept anything being over just yet.

Victoria forced herself to pay attention since Cat had begun talking: "…Your entire plan was based off of one faulty detail."

"You're not alone." Spencer realized.

"And my partner? Not as paranoid as you think." snapped Cat.

"You planted a bomb in the building." Spencer muttered.

"I didn't. That was his job while I kept your entire team focused on us while he did what he does best." said Cat.

"There are innocent people here!" Spencer retorted.

"Exactly. So let me remind you what we're playing for. Not only will I walk out of here, but you will make sure I leave safely. Pay attention to this part. I'm going to describe the terms of my victory. I want you to move all of your backup away from this building. If I walk out of here and see one cop, I'll incinerate us all." Cat seethed.

"I can't do that. These kinds of things take time." Spencer argued.

Cat grabbed him forcibly by the tie. Her voice slithered into Victoria's earpiece, sending chills down her spine: "This is to whoever's in charge: Unless you want to be responsible for the biggest FBI fiasco since Wako, you will back off now." Cat let go of Spencer's tie and leaned back. "Watch this." she whispered.

…

Spencer watched Cat as he waited and listened to the team formulate a plan. He couldn't let Cat walk out of here. Not after everything she'd done. This woman would kill Garcia. This woman knew about his mother. This woman knew who Victoria was… Spencer's heart dropped into his stomach. Cat knew Victoria was important to him. She'd seen the picture on his phone.

"Reid," said Hotch's voice, "all perimeter agents are retreating. You have to let her go." Spencer's stomach knotted. Cat would hurt his team if he let her go. "Repeat, all agents do not engage or pursue until the bomb is diffused."

"Spencer…" Cat growled impatiently.

Spencer stared at her. "You can leave," he allowed. He stood as Cat got out of the booth. "But you won't. Double or nothing I can get you to sit back down."

"Spencer, what are you doing?" Victoria hissed.

"You've played your trick card but I have one, too." Spencer said, ignoring his girlfriend's frustrated sigh.

"Thanks for dinner. I had fun." said Cat, turning to leave.

"I found your father." said Spencer.

Cat stopped in her tracks. She turned. "No you didn't."

"Look at my face. Am I bluffing?" Spencer retorted. Cat remained silent. "Sit back down and listen to my story."

"Tell me now, or I'll-!" Cat threatened.

"Detonate the bomb?" Spencer guessed. "You're not gonna do that because then you won't learn anything. You said you're good at your job because you think through every outcome. But guess what? So do I."

"All right. Finish the story." said Cat, sliding back into the booth.

Spencer inhaled deeply before jumping back into his partially true story about finding Cat's father. _God, let her buy it._

…

"Morgan, does she have a cell phone on her?" Hotch demanded. Victoria bit her lip. That bitch had actually armed the bomb!

"I don't think so," said Morgan. "I think the bomber has it because of the way it's set up. He's gotta have it."

"If it even is a he," said Tara. "Cat said something about gender bias. Maybe she was talking about the bomber, too."

"All right, look for anyone alone with their cell phone out who keeps looking at Reid and Cat." said Hotch.

"There," said Tara suddenly, "at the bar in the blue dress."

"You know what baby? Let's ditch this place." said Morgan, getting up.

"You don't like it? I kinda do." said Tara.

"I wanna take you dancin'." said Morgan. They passed the bomber. Tara slammed the woman's head against the bar and arrested her while Morgan took the phone and disarmed the bomb.

"Hotch, we're clear." said JJ's voice.

"Reid's not." Victoria cried, her eyes widening at Cat holding Spencer at gunpoint.

"We're gonna talk about this, right Cat?" said Tara, leading the bomber away.

"That's up to you." sneered Cat.

"Reid, it's time." said Morgan.

"No." said Spencer.

"We don't have a choice and we have to do it." said Morgan.

"Morgan, shut up!" Spencer snapped.

"Do what?" asked Cat.

"There's one thing he hasn't told you yet." said Morgan.

"That's not true! I've told you everything." Spencer argued.

"What's he talking about?" Cat demanded.

"Nothing! He's lying!" Spencer cried.

"We brought your father here." Morgan barked.

"Here? He's here?" Cat whispered.

"He's right outside. Reid thought he needed every bargaining chip he could get." Morgan explained gently.

"Morgan, I'm begging you." Spencer pleaded.

"Every bargaining chip he could get to get you to do the right thing." said Morgan.

"How was this the right thing?" Cat demanded.

"Your father killed your mother. There's no statute of limitations on murder so you really need to think about your options right now. You shoot him, I will kill you. Or if you surrender, you will live to testify against your father." Morgan replied.

"That's not good enough." Cat snapped.

"We can arrange for you to ride in custody together so you can remind him of who you are." Morgan added.

"If you give her this, she wins, don't do it." Spencer begged.

"Kid, I am trying to save your life! Now let me do that!" Morgan shouted.

"You're really upset about this, aren't you?" Cat muttered.

Spencer kept his mouth shut. Victoria stared at the gun, the end of it brushing Spencer's neck. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? A chance to finally hurt the man who deserves it." Morgan continued.

"They all deserve it." Cat shot back savagely.

"This one deserves it more." Morgan's voice was calm.

Cat looked between Derek and Spencer. "Only if Spencer walks me out." she said.

"Deal." Spencer muttered. Cat dropped the gun and Victoria let out the breath she had been holding.

Garcia took off her headset and put her face in her hands and began to cry. Victoria exchanged a glance with Hotch. "I'll take care of her." Victoria promised. She gave Garcia a hug. Penelope enveloped Victoria in a hug.

"I hate seeing my babies in so much danger!" Penelope sobbed.

"I know," said Victoria, "but it's over now. Everyone's okay."

Penelope's sobs subsided. She wiped her eyes. "Ugh, sorry about that."

"It's completely understandable. C'mon. Savannah said she's got some wine she wants to get rid of." Victoria replied.

"And it would be a shame for her to throw it out," said Penelope. "I'll meet you there!"

Victoria watched Penelope go, a smile tugging at her lips. "Parker, you and Reid are clear." said Hotch, giving Victoria a pat on the shoulder. She nodded and rushed outside. She looked around, watching the law enforcement response disperse as Cat and the bomber were driven off to be imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Victoria finally caught sight of Spencer, standing on the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets, his face drawn into a deep frown. Victoria let out a sigh and rushed toward him. She ignored pretenses and ran toward him. He caught sight of her and opened his arms to her. Victoria crashed into his embrace.

"I'm okay," Spencer assured her gently, squeezing her close.

Victoria nodded against his chest. "I know," she whispered. "I know…" She looked up at Spencer. "I'm meeting Garcia at Morgan's place. You coming?"

Spencer hesitated before finally nodding. "Yeah. I'll be there."

Victoria pursed her lips into a small smile. "See you soon." She headed away from Spencer and got into her car. She revved the engine, picked a happy playlist on her iPod and then headed for Morgan and Savannah's house. The drive was short, so Victoria decided to take a second to listen to her last song. Then she shut off her car, got out and headed inside Morgan's house.

Laughter immediately greeted Victoria's ears, initiating a warm smile across her face. She found the kitchen, where several empty shot glasses littered the counter. Penelope sat on a barstool, red-faced and giggling while Savannah merely looked bemused. "Whoa, you guys got started without me." Victoria said, grinning.

Penelope swiveled in her chair, a grand smile stretching her cheeks. "Victoria! I love you!"

Victoria chuckled. "I love you, too."

"You should drink with me!" Penelope indicated to the glasses.

"Are these all yours?" Victoria asked, looking around.

"She's like a tiger," muttered Savannah, "that hand became a claw when I tried to take it away."

Victoria snorted. "I believe it."

"Oh my gosh, they're here!" Penelope sang, stumbling off her stool and rushing outside.

Victoria and Savannah exchanged concerned glances before rushing after her. "Penelope! You can't just run outside!" Victoria cried. She stopped when she saw it was just Derek and Spencer. "Oh good, it's you guys." Victoria sighed, relaxing slightly.

"Whoa, whoa! What is going on?" Derek asked, staring at Penelope in bewilderment.

"You're what's going on! The Dirty Dozen is done! D! O! N! E! Done!" Penelope proceeded to mime scissors with her fingers.

"How much did she have?" Derek asked.

"She started out with Jaeger." said Savannah, cringing slightly.

"Jaeger?" Derek repeated. Victoria glanced at Spencer, who wore the first smile she had seen in several days.

"I love you." said Penelope.

"Okay," said Derek, sounding concerned.

"And you! I love you so much!" Penelope cried to Spencer, who was laughing now. "And Victoria! I love you! And I should be jealous of you," Penelope turned to Savannah, who looked surprised, "because you're so hot! But I'm not! All I feel is love! So much love! I'm wearing too many clothes!" Penelope ran back to the house, taking off her sweater.

Victoria and Savannah glanced at each other. "We've got this." they assured their men. Victoria headed back inside, feeling giddy. She and Savannah managed to keep Penelope from stripping naked, though with some difficulty. At last, Derek came into the house. Victoria frowned when she didn't see Spencer.

"Where's Spence?" she asked.

Derek's expression was grim. "He's not in a partying mood."

Victoria stood. "I'll go talk to him." She moved past Derek, who caught her by the arm.

"Parker, I… I'm glad he has you. He's gonna need you." he muttered.

Victoria braved a smile and poked Derek playfully. "Getting soft on me, Morgan."

Derek rolled his eyes but let go of Victoria's arm. She headed outside. She didn't see Spencer at first, but his car was still parked in the driveway. Victoria wandered past the house, to a small park not too far away. She caught sight of Spencer sitting on a swing. Victoria inhaled deeply and dropped into the swing beside Spencer. They were quiet for several heartbeats.

"Talk to me, Spence." Victoria murmured.

Spencer cleared his throat. "Cat told me something that I can't shake."

"What?" Victoria asked.

"In twenty years, she'll remember my name but I won't remember hers." Spencer's voice caught at the end.

Victoria looked at him, but Spencer kept his eyes trained on his shoes. "You don't know that dementia will present itself in you. You may dodge another bullet." she said.

"Victoria…" Spencer sounded exasperated. He trailed off and was quiet for a long time. "I… I think we should break up."

Victoria's heart dropped into her stomach. It was her turn to clear her throat of a lump. "W-what?" she breathed.

Spencer looked at her at last. His eyes pooled with tears. "It's not because I don't love you. It's actually because I do. You deserve to be with someone whole, someone who won't pass these genes onto offspring. You need to be with someone who will remember you in twenty years." Spencer broke off, his voice catching again.

Victoria got off her swing and knelt in front of him. "Look at me," she said. Spencer looked at her, tears sliding down his cheeks. "Don't push me away. For better or worse. That's what love is. I'm not going anywhere. I will be beside you, no matter what. My grandmother has cancer, Spencer. That means I have a higher chance of getting it. Would you expect me to dump you now because I might get it?"

Spencer shook his head. "But you would remember me." he mumbled.

"Spencer, stop. Fuck Cat Adams. You need to have some happiness in your life, even if it's brief. Twenty years with you is better than no years with you." Victoria snapped.

Spencer looked away. "It would be selfish of me to make you suffer like that."

"It's selfish of you to push me away because you're scared of something that might happen!" Victoria's voice had risen an octave.

Spencer met her gaze at last. "What if there's someone better? I can't put you through this."

"I don't care if there's someone better! You're enough for me. God, can't you see? I don't want to find happiness with someone else! I want you, no matter what. Don't do this, please." Victoria said desperately.

"I'm not arguing about this!" Spencer yelled. Victoria stood and backed away from him, blinking back tears. "I love you too much to put you through this."

Victoria felt tears drip down her cheeks. "So that's it, then? You don't want to risk it? You'd rather be miserable forever?"

Spencer put his face in his hands. "Victoria, please. Don't make this any harder. I love you, okay? And that's why I can't be with you."

"That doesn't make any sense! For someone with three fucking Ph.D.'s, you're being stupid!" Victoria shouted.

"I'm not going to put you through this, Victoria. Please stop trying to change my mind." Spencer croaked.

It would've felt better if Spencer had just stabbed Victoria in the chest with a rusty knife. Tears welled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. "I…" What could she say? Hot flashes waved over her back. She took deep breaths to calm her anxiety. She trembled as she backed away from him.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked, standing.

Victoria struggled to breathe. "N-no." she muttered. Spencer reached forward to help her, but Victoria yanked away from him. "Please," she gasped, "don't touch me." Spencer's face crumpled, but Victoria turned away from him. She walked back to Morgan's house, her stomach writhing like a basket of snakes. She knocked on the door. Savannah answered, her smile vanishing.

"Victoria, what's wrong?" Savannah demanded.

Victoria shook her head and dissolved into sobs on Savannah's shoulder.

…

 _Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone, we find it with another._

Spencer stared at the quote he'd read so many times. He closed the book that Maeve had given him and put it back on the shelf. He trudged into his bedroom, his chest feeling hollow. He opened his pajama drawer and stiffened. Victoria's Ravenclaw hoodie was folded neatly beside his set of pajamas. He picked it up, running his fingers over the Ravenclaw insignia on the sleeve. He sank onto his bed, tears welling in his eyes.

God, he wished he had not broken up with her. He wished his genes weren't so fucked up. He wanted nothing more than to go back and change the night to a proposal instead. He was supposed to have proposed in Las Vegas. But as soon as he saw his mother's split second of confusion, that heartbeat of not knowing him, he had decided to wait. What kind of boyfriend, fiancé or husband would he be if he forced Victoria to endure that but with him? How could he ask Victoria to watch herself slowly fade from his memory? He couldn't. He was not going to make her suffer that agony.

Spencer hugged Victoria's hoodie, which smelled of her favorite perfume, close to him. His body shuddered with a sob, his heart feeling as if it had been ripped into two, jagged pieces. As he cried, he couldn't help but wonder if he had just made the worst mistake of his life.

 **…**

 **So… Not much to say… Just felt like this would be a Spencer-y thing to do, since he tends to push the people he loves away when he's in pain (ahem, Gideon's death, the dilaudid… Maeve…). Anyway, thank you guys for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and be sure to leave a review!**


	34. Chapter 34

******_Drive_**

"Okay, we've got pizza, wine and movies. Victoria's choice, of course." said Penelope, setting down a box of pepperoni pizza and a bottle of wine.

"First, tell us what happened." said JJ, pouring wine into glasses.

Victoria rubbed her eyes. "He broke up with me after the case. He told me that he didn't want to force me to watch him fade away because he might develop dementia."

"What did you say?" asked Tara.

"I told him that I'd rather enjoy this time with him and worry about it later. He told me there could be someone better and didn't want to hold me back. I told him he wasn't, that I didn't want anyone else. But he insisted that he loved me too much to put me through this," said Victoria. Tears welled in her eyes. "But I was doing some research, and not all strands of dementia are hereditary. Some are, but even if the strand his mother has is hereditary, it doesn't mean he's definitely going to develop it. There's still hope. Maybe it's just me. Maybe he doesn't want to be with me. I'm not smart enough, skinny enough, pretty enough… Whatever. I'm not what he wants anymore."

"That is not it, trust me." said JJ.

"And don't talk about yourself like that," said Penelope, "you are a sexy beast."

Victoria coughed out a watery chuckle. Tara handed her some tissues. "Thanks." Victoria mumbled blowing her nose and wiping her eyes. She certainly didn't feel like a sexy beast at the moment.

"Spence loves you. He has for a long time. If anything, he doesn't feel good enough for you." said JJ.

"I understand why he did it, I just… I don't agree with it. Was it really worth it to him to do this?" Victoria blinked back tears. Her eyes were beginning to hurt. Reliving it was not doing much for her. It was better to distract herself in her paintings and music. Or sleep.

"I don't think so," said Savannah, "Derek said Spencer told him what happened and was extremely upset."

"Do you think he'll want to get back together?" Tara asked.

Victoria shook her head, sniffling. "He seemed pretty adamant about his decision."

"But if he's just as heartbroken as you are, his may not hold." said Tara.

"What do you mean?" Victoria muttered.

"We're gonna make him miss you." said Tara.

"Oh, Lewis, I like the way you think! We're going shopping!" cried Penelope.

"Yes! We'll get you some new clothes, do your makeup every day…" Savannah grinned. "He won't be able to keep his eyes off you."

"Do you have a hot man friend who he doesn't know?" asked JJ, smirking.

Victoria widened her eyes. "I mean, from theatre… But he's gay."

"Reid doesn't have to know that." Penelope winked.

Victoria stared at her friends. Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know if making him jealous and aroused is going to win him back."

"What will?" Savannah asked.

Victoria shrugged. "This sounds morbid, but danger. If he almost loses me, he'll want me back."

"Well, we're not dangling you from the top of a building. But Reid'll see you in the field a lot, so there ya go." said Tara.

"We just need him to miss you," said JJ, "which he already does."

"I'm not going to mope in front of him," said Victoria. "I don't want to be pathetic."

"We'll make it subtle," promised Penelope, "and if you need to, you can always work in my office so that you can get away from him."

"Or trade desks with me." suggested JJ.

"Yeah, and mine is empty when I go on research assignments." said Tara.

Victoria smiled softly. "Thank you guys."

"Trust me, when we're done, Reid is going to beg for you back." Penelope said, sipping from her wine.

Victoria followed suit, but she wasn't so sure. She didn't think Spencer would take her back unless he was sure she wouldn't suffer in the future.

…

"Okay, your sweaters are cute, but no more of them." said JJ. Victoria looked down at her periwinkle sweater.

"Yeah. We've gotta show off your assets." said Penelope, throwing another shirt into their basket.

"What assets?" Victoria mumbled.

"Um, hello? Your boobs? Your butt? C'mon!" Penelope argued. She hauled Victoria into the dressing room. They spent the day finding fitted tops, some of which allowed a classy flash of collarbone, fitted pants and work heels. Victoria had always felt that she had a good sense of style, but at work, she tended to dress much more conservatively. Her friends, however, saw fit to put her into clothes that allowed her skin to show more. They kept it classy, but Victoria definitely felt a bit sexier in them. She was actually kind of excited to show Spencer… Her heart sank. Would he really care? He never had expressed much interest in looks, calling them trivial. He probably wouldn't even notice.

Victoria sighed as she walked to her car after a lengthy afternoon with the girls. It had been fun, but she had spent a fair amount of money and needed time to recharge. All she wanted to do was get home and take a bubble bath. She paused before backing out of her parking spot, her chest aching. She missed Spencer.

…

Spencer laid on his couch, an open book splayed out on his coffee table. Even reading could not distract him. Perhaps he had made a mistake… He shut his eyes. No. He couldn't afford to think like that. He couldn't afford to go back on what he had said. He just needed to let go. But he couldn't forget Victoria's tear-streaked face, on her knees begging for him to listen to her.

 _God, can't you see? I want you!_

Spencer felt his eyes burn. He drew in deep draughts of breath, trying to calm himself. He jumped when there was a knock on his door. He hesitated before getting up. What if it was Victoria? What would stop him from grabbing her and begging her to take him back? He wasn't sure he had the strength to ignore her pain… He hadn't seen her since their breakup. Hotch had given them all the weekend to get some rest, which had made not seeing Victoria much easier. Not texting or calling her was a whole different story. He had stopped himself from calling her three times just that morning.

The person at his door knocked again. "Reid, come on, man. I know you're in there." Morgan's voice muttered from outside.

Spencer had the strangest desire to hide. He sucked in a deep breath and answered the door. "Morgan, now's not a great time." he said.

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "Don't bullshit me, Reid," he said, pushing his way inside Spencer's apartment. He turned and crossed his arms. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Spencer pursed his lips. "I'm trying to protect her, Morgan."

"From what? Not all strands of dementia are hereditary. Even if the one your mother has is, it doesn't mean you're going to get it." said Morgan.

Spencer looked away. "I know."

"Then what the hell, man? I thought you loved her?" Morgan demanded.

Spencer looked at Morgan sharply. "I do."

"Then what is it?" Morgan snapped.

"I'm scared, all right?" Spencer retorted, spreading his arms slightly. "Of dementia, of schizophrenia… Not just that I might develop them, but that I'll pass them onto children… If I do, that's a lot to dump onto Victoria… I couldn't do that to her. I seem to have the worst luck. I lose people, over and over again, and I…" Spencer's voice broke. His lip trembled. "I don't want to live to see the day where Victoria walks away from me."

Morgan's eyebrows slanted upward in concern. "Reid, Parker isn't going anywhere. She was devastated when you broke up with her. She came over to my house and cried on Savannah's shoulder. She ended up sleeping on our couch because we didn't think she was okay to drive home, man. She's still not okay. She has spent the whole weekend at Garcia's because she doesn't want to be alone. She's miserable without you, man. And you're miserable without her."

Spencer's lip trembled again. "I-I know," he croaked, "but I… I can't… I can't do this to her."

Morgan sighed. "Look, I don't agree. But I'm here for you, Reid. If you ever need to just talk or something, don't hesitate to call."

"Thanks, Morgan." Spencer replied softly. Morgan left soon after, leaving Spencer alone with his thoughts once more.

 _God, can't you see? I want you!_

Oh, how he wanted her, too.

…

"Boston PD needs our help. Garcia?" Hotch said, entering the briefing room.

Victoria made sure to sit by JJ and Rossi instead of Spencer. She ignored Spencer's glance in her direction. Her stomach writhed and twisted, but she forced herself to focus on the case. "Okay, this case is not for the faint of heart, so if I faint, that's why," said Penelope, clicking the remote to flood the screen with crime scene images. "A week ago, the headless body of Lilly Chang was discovered in a playground in Rocksbury and two days ago forty-five year old Denise Wagner was discovered in the North End. Her body, sans head, was found on an old couch by the curb."

"The North End and Rocksbury are two distinct neighborhoods in Boston. They're only five-point-one miles apart geographically but they're worlds apart in terms of socioeconomic and racial makeup." Spencer commented.

Victoria tensed. He didn't even sound vaguely upset! How could he be okay? She breathed in a sharp breath. "Did the women live in the neighborhoods that the bodies were found?" Derek's voice echoed through Victoria's rattling brain, so she withdrew from her incredulous thoughts and refocused on the case.

"No, Lilly lived across the river in Cainbridge and Denise was from Beacon Hill." said Penelope.

"The unsub must've used a van or other vehicle to transport the bodies." said Tara.

"Not to be indelicate, but any sign of the heads?" asked Rossi.

"No, nothing yet." Hotch replied.

"The media must be having a field day." JJ muttered.

"Oh, you could say that," said Penelope, her eyes wide. She clicked on the remote. The screen was littered with magazine and newspaper headlines about the Boston Butcher.

"Oh, well, not as clever as that one infamous headline: Headless Body in Topless Bar." said Rossi.

"He dumped the bodies in public so he obviously wants them found." said Spencer.

"Why? What's the endgame?" asked Tara.

"Maybe he's getting off on shocking whoever finds the bodies." Derek suggested.

"Spreading panic and fear." Aaron agreed.

"He didn't take their handbags, jewelry or wallets." said JJ.

"No, the only thing missing were their cell phones. And… Their heads…" said Penelope.

"So robbery isn't a motive and there's no evidence of sexual assault, either." said Derek.

"Why these women? How did the unsub cross paths with them?" asked Dave.

"That's what we need to find out before he strikes again. Wheels up in thirty." said Hotch.

Victoria got up, ready to make a beeline for the door. Hotch stopped her. She faced him, eyebrows knitted. "Sir?"

Hotch waited for the rest of the team to shuffle past. "Are you all right? You didn't say a word the whole briefing."

Victoria hoped Hotch didn't notice the bags under her eyes. "Oh. Yeah, I'm okay. Just not feeling good, that's all."

Hotch looked like he didn't believe her. "Well, do what you need to do to feel better. This case is going to need your full attention."

 _That's what I'm hoping for._ "Yes, sir." Victoria left to grab her go bag, praying her stuffy nose made it sound like she had a cold, not that she had been crying.

…

Spencer watched Victoria walk toward the jet, her hips swaying slightly. She wore fitted taupe pants, a nice tank top and a white blazer. Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. She wore more makeup than usual, but it looked good. The only thing off about her appearance was her lack of smile. It was as if she were under Korey's thumb all over again. The thought made Spencer feel a bit sick.

"Both women were low risk lifestyle victims, but if there's any connection between them, I'm not seeing it." Derek said.

"The first victim Lilly Chang was a chemistry major at MIT. She was seen tutoring kids in an after school program." said JJ.

"Denise Wagner was a banker, divorced and living with her teenage son. She disappeared after speaking at an investment seminar." said Lewis.

"Cutting off someone's head isn't easy. Why pick that method to kill?" asked David.

"Terrorist groups often use beheading to send a message or warning. Historically it's been used for that purpose, starting with the ancient Greek and Romans and in eleventh century England, beheading by sword was introduced by William the Conqueror and of course thousands of people were beheaded during the French Revolution including Louis the Sixteenth and Marie Antoinette." Spencer said.

"Could this be the work of a terrorist selling on US soil?" Lewis asked.

"None have claimed responsibility." said Hotch.

"So what's he doing with the heads?" Derek muttered.

"He could be keeping them as human trophies, or like Jeffrey Dahmer, he could have partialism and is using them for sexual gratification." said Spencer.

"They could be giving him a sense of ownership of his victims." Victoria commented quietly, her eyes trained on the case file. Her cheeks flushed when she noticed a couple of the team members looking at her.

Spencer felt his heart clench for her. She felt so far away from him. He supposed that was how it was supposed to be, but it felt unnatural. Spencer nearly missed Tara's mention of the unsub having a severe fear of rejection by women and a severed head couldn't say no.

"Those are all valid theories, but we have to ask ourselves: Why is he killing now?" Rossi muttered.

"Sir?" Garcia's face flickered on screen. "The body of a third headless woman was found in Boston. Her name is Amy Gibb. She was a bartender at the Seaport."

"Where was her body found?" asked Hotch.

"On a bench in Boston Common." said Garcia.

"The Commons is right in the heart of downtown. The unsub couldn't have picked a more public place." said JJ.

"Lilly Chang was killed a week ago, Denise Wagner two days ago and now Amy Gibb." Spencer commented, his brow furrowing. The unsub was escalating.

"Garcia, tell Boston PD we're on our way and to preserve the crime scene." said Hotch.

"And baby girl, search for men in Boston and the Tristate area with a history of sex crimes. Concentrate on those with fetishes involving heads." said Derek.

"I'm on it, but I feel icky already!" said Penelope. Her face flashed off screen.

"All right, when we land, Morgan and Reid go to the latest crime scene. Dave, JJ and Parker find what you can from the M.E. and Lewis and I will get set up with the local authorities." said Hotch.

Spencer nodded. He glanced toward Victoria, hoping to catch her eye, but it seemed she was avoiding his gaze. His stomach twisted. What had he expected?

…

"Cut looks clean, surgical. As if Amy's head was taken off with a single blow. Would you need to have a medical background to do this?" JJ asked.

"Not necessarily, but you'd need something razor sharp to achieve this precise a wound." said the medical examiner.

"The unsub would need a powerful swing, not to mention great aim." commented Rossi.

"It looks like her knuckles are broken." Victoria murmured, peering at Amy Gibb's bruised and mangled hands.

"They are. The other victims share the same injury." said the M.E. She walked over to the other body. She lifted the cover so that Victoria, JJ and Rossi could see.

"Defensive wounds, possibly. Could have tried to fight her way out of something." said Rossi.

"In that instance, other bones in the hands would have been broken, but these wounds are localized." said the M.E.

"Like they were repeatedly hit with something." said JJ.

"Ante mortem torture." Victoria muttered, shaking her head.

"The beheading of Denise Wagner is much the same of Amy Gibb, but the beheading of Lilly Chang is drastically different." said the M.E.

"How so?" JJ asked.

The medical examiner led the agents to Lilly Chang's body and pulled back the cover, revealing the stump of neck where Lilly Chang's head should have been. Victoria swallowed the bile rising in her throat and blinked quickly. She forced herself to look at the M.E., not the frayed and tattered skin of Lilly Chang's severed neck. "See how jagged and frayed the skin ligaments are? That's an indication that the killer used a sawing motion back and forth to remove her head." said the M.E.

"She's the first victim. He's learned since what works best." said Rossi.

"There's no evidence that the women were drugged or sedated, which suggests…" said the M.E.

"They were awake while it was happening." JJ muttered.

"I'm afraid so." said the M.E.

Victoria was glad to get out of the morgue. She was quiet on the car ride back to the station. Rossi pulled her aside. "Amy Gibb's father is here. I think you should talk to him. You're good at being sensitive." he said.

Victoria cracked a small smile. "Okay." She went inside and made two cups of coffee. She glanced up when Spencer walked forward. She had done her best to avoid him, but it had been bound to happen sooner or later. Her mouth went dry.

"Hey," Spencer said quietly.

Victoria merely offered him a cross between a grimace and smile as she moved past him. Her heart pounded as she hurried away from him. _Don't cry, don't cry. Pull it together, you wuss._ Victoria let out a deliberate breath and handed Mr. Gibb his coffee. "Here you go, Mr. Gibb." she croaked.

"Thank you," said Mr. Gibb. "When the police called, I thought it was someone playing a sick joke. Then they came to the house and said they found Amy's wallet."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Mr. Gibb, if you could tell me about your daughter, it might help our investigation." she said gently.

Mr. Gibb nodded. "Amy was everything a parent could hope for. She was smart… and beautiful… and kind… She lit up every room just by walking in." Mr. Gibb cut off, tears in his eyes.

Victoria hated to rub salt into the wound, but the investigation needed to map out victimology. "But… There were some problems?" she guessed.

"She'd been a little lost lately." Mr. Gibb admitted.

"Lost? How?" Victoria asked.

"She was depressed. My wife, Amy's mother, died a few months ago. They were very close." Mr. Gibb croaked.

Victoria felt her heart sink for this man. "When was the last time you spoke to your daughter?"

"Last night. She was on her way home from work." Mr. Gibb replied.

"Where's that?" Victoria asked.

"Jenson's. It's a restaurant in the Seaport District. She called from the T at midnight. I told her I didn't like her taking it so late. She said I worry too much and I said it's my job, y'know?" Mr. Gibb broke off, on the verge of tears.

Victoria nodded grimly, thinking back to when she was Jason and Seth's primary guardian. "Yeah. I do know."

…

Victoria stood with the team the next day, ready to give the profile at last. "The unsub we're looking for may be a Rideshare driver or posing as one. He's using the service to hunt for his victims." said Rossi.

"He appears non-threatening which allows him to get close to his victims. The sophisticated nature of his planning suggests he's in his late thirties or early forties." said JJ.

"We think he's an injustice collector, upset by the unfairness he's suffered in life. He holds onto grudges and magnifies slights way out of proportion." said Hotch.

"His hypersensitivity could be the result of paranoia, or drug induced psychosis." Victoria added.

"Rideshare companies use software and phone apps to track customers and drivers. Could he be hacking their systems?" asked the lead detective.

"We've checked. There's no evidence of that." said Tara.

"However, he could be getting around the software by picking his victims off the app. Similar to when a taxi driver goes off the meter." said Morgan.

"Even the most minor insult could cause him to go off into a murderous rage." said Hotch.

"He could've been raised in a home where he was excessively disciplined." said Tara.

"The act of striking his victims' hands may be part of their punishment." added JJ.

"And the beheading gives him the power and control he feels he lacks." said Rossi.

"If he's upset about changes in the neighborhood, he may consider outsiders to be the enemy. And his form of punishment is decapitation. Thank you." Hotch dipped his head in dismissal.

…

Spencer listened to Garcia check for scandals at local schools, rambling about a principal at Alden Academy, arrested for molestation. The principal had committed suicide ten days ago. A former student, James O'Neal, had been a Rideshare driver, but had been fired for a gargantuan amount of negative reviews, but no charges had been pressed. O'Neal still lived in Southie.

"Parker and Morgan, you're with me. We need the home address, Garcia." said Hotch.

"Already sent. Be safe, guys!" said Garcia.

Spencer licked his lips as he watched Victoria strap on her bulletproof vest. Without a second glance at him, she followed Morgan outside of the station.

…

"James O'Neal, FBI!" Hotch roared.

"Stay away!" cried James.

"We're coming in!" Hotch warned. He led the way inside. Victoria flanked Morgan, fanning out beside him. She was closest to the unsub. She glanced over James O'Neal's shoulder and saw a fridge full of human heads.

"Hotch." she muttered.

"You need to release him, James." said Hotch.

"No! He's a cheater!" James cried.

"Don't let him kill me!" sobbed Anthony Simmons, who was strapped down in the guillotine.

"Hold on, Mr. Simmons." Morgan soothed.

Victoria glanced at the object clenched in James's free hand. It was a Taser, his choice of weapon to subdue his victims. The other held the rope keeping the guillotine's blade steady. "We know what Brendon Burke did to you." Hotch muttered.

"He's a liar! He's a hypocrite! He's a pervert!" James sputtered.

"Yes. And soon the world will know the truth about the monster he was." Hotch said, putting his gun away. Morgan and Victoria hesitantly followed suit.

"But he'll never be punished!" roared James.

"Hurting other people won't change that, and we don't want to hurt you." Victoria murmured.

"Get me out!" screamed Anthony Simmons.

"Shut up!" shrieked James. He lunged at Victoria, letting go of the rope pulley. Electricity surged through Victoria's side as James's Taser zapped her, but the pain stopped as quickly as it had started. Morgan tackled James to the ground and arrested him. Hotch had shoved a plank in between the blade and Mr. Simmons's head, saving the man's life.

Victoria helped Hotch free Mr. Simmons. Once the victim was on his way to the hospital, Hotch turned to Victoria. "Go get checked out." he said.

Victoria nodded. "Yes sir." she promised. She had a paramedic look her over, but she wasn't too hurt. Her skin had an angry red mark, but that was the worst of it. She was just glad to be done with the case.

…

Spencer heard about Victoria being Tasered by the unsub and hurried to her hotel room. He rapped on the door with his knuckles. Victoria answered the door. Her face paled when she saw him. "Reid." she greeted.

Spencer's heart twisted in his chest. She had never called him Reid. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Victoria muttered. "Just tired."

Spencer could tell she wanted him to leave. He nodded. "O-okay. Just making sure."

Victoria shrugged. "You don't need to. I'm not your concern anymore."

Spencer felt as if she had just slapped him across the face. "Victoria, you'll always be my concern."

Victoria pressed her lips together. She looked as if she were holding back tears. "I need you to not say things like that. It only… I'm really tired, Spence. Is that all you wanted?"

Spencer parted his lips to say no, but he nodded instead. "Yeah. That… That was all."

Victoria nodded and closed the door. Spencer stood outside her door for a good thirty seconds. This what he deserved, he supposed. Victoria's distance was the punishment for what he had done. But he was not used to the chasm yawning wider and wider between them. He hated the coldness eating away at the warmth that had once been there. He felt sick, thinking of the rust eroding the bond between them already. They were broken. Spencer had broken them. He had shattered her. And he hated himself for it.

…

Victoria stared out the window of the jet, elbow resting on the table and her hand over her mouth. There was nothing to see out in the darkness above the clouds, but Victoria kept staring. She barely looked up when someone sat across from her.

"Parker, is everything okay?" asked Hotch.

Victoria looked at him and braved a smile. "Yeah. I'm good."

Hotch's brow furrowed. "Morgan told me about you and Reid."

Victoria's stomach twisted. She glanced over at Spencer, who was asleep on the other side of the plane. "I'm sorry, I should've told you. I… I just spent the whole weekend reliving it with Penelope, JJ and Tara… I was hoping he would say something, but…"

Hotch held up his hands. "You're not in trouble. You just don't seem well. Neither of you do."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Uh, the case was hard. Being around him so much…"

Hotch frowned. "Not to be indelicate, but will it affect your ability to work?"

"I don't know," Victoria admitted, "I hope not. I'd like to stay with the team."

Hotch nodded. He was quiet for so long that Victoria resumed staring out the window. "Would you like to come over for dinner this weekend?" Hotch asked.

Victoria looked at him, eyebrows raised. "Only if we drink tequila, braid each other's hair and talk bad about our exes."

Hotch smirked. "Unfortunately, I can't promise you that."

Victoria smiled. "I'd love to come over for dinner. I haven't seen Jack in a while."

"He did mention the other day that he misses that time you babysat him." Hotch replied.

"He's probably getting close to the age where he can babysit himself." Victoria said.

Hotch closed his eyes and shook his head. "Not for a while, still."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Hotch. For checking up on me."

Hotch squeezed her hand. "Of course."

…

Spencer entered his apartment, feeling quite dull. He set his keys and bag down. He closed the door and headed for the kitchen to make himself some tea. While he waited for the water to boil, he ventured to the living room. His eyes roved over his bookcase absentmindedly. He stiffened when he saw a collection of books that did not belong to him. He stepped toward the colorful spines of Victoria's _Harry Potter_ collection. Spencer pulled out the first book. It was worn and weathered from many years of use and love. Spencer smiled to himself and opened the book, sitting down on his couch. And he began to read.

It didn't take him long to read and finish the whole book. When he had finished, he began steeping his tea. He replaced _The Sorcerer's Stone_ on the shelf and retrieved _The Chamber of Secrets_. He dove into the book, devouring the story. He got up when he was finished and stirred his tea. He grabbed Victoria's set of _Harry Potter_ and began reading. His eyes flitted across the pages, inhaling each word. Every now and then he came across a highlighted sentence.

 _In dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own._

Spencer smiled to himself. Victoria's fascination with wonder was one of the things that he loved about her.

 _We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided._

Spencer's smile faltered. Could his strength really be fractured now that he no longer had Victoria by his side? His heart clenched. They were both weak now that they were separated… He shook off his thoughts and continued reading.

 _You care so much you feel as though you would bleed to death with the pain of it._

Spencer looked up from the book, his eyes burning. He cared so much… He missed Victoria. But he loved her so much… He didn't want to tie her to him. He wasn't whole. There was too much risk for her by being with him, and he just… He couldn't do it anymore.

 _It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more._

Spencer was beginning to feel like these books, and the quotes Victoria had highlighted, were stalking him. But every time he read one of the books, he felt like he was holding Victoria in his arms again. Every time he read one of her favorite quotes, it was like receiving a friendly wave or soft smile from her. So, he opened the last book.

 _You'll stay with me? Until the very end._

Spencer finished the _Harry Potter_ series, tears trickling down his cheeks. He wasn't much for reading books that weren't technical or educational in some way. But… Maybe he was feeling nostalgic, or he missed Victoria… Or maybe it was a whole combination of reasons, tossed together like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope, but the books had been _good_. He had loved every second of their rawness, their darkness, their magic. He had laughed, rolled his eyes and shaken his head with the characters. He had felt the ache of loss with the deaths. And many of Victoria's quotes had struck a chord in his heartstrings. He could feel the twang as it resonated in his core. He missed her. He loved her. He wanted her back. Maybe he needed to get on his knees and beg for her forgiveness and ask her to face the unknown with him. Because he knew that the fear was paralyzing, but at least he could lean on her for support. He may be terrified of what his genes had in store for him, but with Victoria, he could be strong enough to face it.

...

"You know it's what Reid does," said Hotch, "and I know it's not much consolation, but it means that he loves you very much. Reid has lots of issues that are easy to ignore or forget. But he never can. And maybe he's accepted what may or may not happen to him, but he isn't ready for you to. Reid probably doesn't think he's worthy enough for you."

Victoria took another sip of wine. "But I begged for him not to do this, and he did. And he's smart, way smarter than I am. He should know that he has quite a high chance of not inheriting it. Maybe… Maybe he just doesn't want… me. I mean, I know Maeve died a while ago, but he loved her a lot… And I'm not Maeve."

"You're not," agreed Hotch, "and I think that's a good thing. Reid doesn't need someone whose intelligence matches his pace by pace. I think you challenge him in other ways, ways that are healthy for him. Parker, you bring out a side to him that is braver, stronger and happier. He loves you. I kept an eye on both of you during this case. He's good at hiding it, but he is in pain."

"So what good did this do?" Victoria asked, her eyes filling up with tears. "I'm trying to be strong or whatever, but… I just don't understand. He's just going to throw it away? He'd rather be miserable forever? I…"

"Victoria, I don't think this is going to last forever." Hotch muttered.

Victoria looked at him, tears sliding down her cheeks. "You don't think so?"

Hotch shook his head. "I think Reid is scared, but I think his love for you is stronger than his fear."

Victoria wiped the tears off her cheeks and smiled softly. "I hope so."

 **…**

 **Thank you guys for all the reviews! It was brought to my attention that not all strands of dementia are hereditary, so I made sure to mention that in this chapter. I did research it a little bit before I wrote the chapters, but I didn't read a whole book on it or anything, so I am in no way an expert. I don't own Harry Potter, either. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**_The Bond_**

Spencer locked his car and headed toward Quantico headquarters. He had just received Garcia's text that they had a case. He paused in his stride when a grey Acura TL pulled up. A man got out and rounded the car to the passenger side. He opened the door and out stepped Victoria. Spencer froze. Dressed in a camel-colored pencil skirt and a cream V-neck top, Victoria turned toward the mystery man.

"Thank you for driving me to work today." she said.

The man wrapped his arms around Victoria. Spencer set his teeth on edge as he watched the man kiss Victoria's cheek. "Anytime, love. I'll pick you up when you get back. Maybe we can get some dinner."

"It might be a midnight snack or breakfast, depending on when we get back. But yeah, I would love to." Victoria replied.

"Have a safe trip, love." said the man. He kissed Victoria's cheek again and circled his car. He caught sight of Spencer gaping at them. The man lifted his muscular arm and waved at Spencer, who stretched his fingers in awkward wave back. The man grinned and got into his car. He sped off, leaving Victoria and Spencer alone in the parking lot. They stared at each other for several seconds.

"Hey." Victoria said at last.

Spencer opened and closed his mouth. "H-hi."

"We can walk in together." Victoria said, gesturing toward the building.

Spencer nodded and forced himself forward. Victoria fell in stride with him, her nude heels clacking against the concrete. With each pop of her shoe, Spencer felt his heart crack. It felt as if she were nailing finality into his chest. She had a boyfriend. Spencer shook off his rising panic. Maybe it wasn't her boyfriend. He had kissed her! How could that guy not be her boyfriend? The man had definitely been more attractive than Spencer, with his strong jaw, thick eyebrows, tan skin, gargantuan muscles –who had muscles on their shoulders like that, anyway?! –and dark eyes… Spencer ground his teeth together. He gripped the strap of his messenger bag so tight that his palms were sweating. "Who was that?" Spencer asked before he could stop himself.

"Zack," said Victoria vaguely.

"Car trouble?" Spencer guessed. His words came out harder than he had meant. He cringed as he summoned the elevator. When had they gotten inside the building?

"Yeah," said Victoria, "my car's engine light came on. So it's in the shop and Zack said that we spend so much time together anyway, it made sense for him to just drive me around until I get my car back. He lives pretty close to me."

"Great." Spencer muttered. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Spencer allowed Victoria to get off first. She headed for the bullpen. Spencer opened the door for her. They entered the briefing room together. Morgan raised his eyebrows at Spencer, who shook his head slightly. Morgan seemed disappointed.

"The Atlanta field office is asking for help in a string of murders they've connected to the HSK database." said Penelope.

"Last night the body of John Doe was found in a truck stop restroom in Chattanooga, Tennessee." said Hotch.

"And the day before, the body of sixty-four year old Claire Westcheshire was discovered in a Birmingham, Alabama truck stop restroom. They had both… Well, it's all on your tablets." said Garcia, waving her hand slightly.

"They'd been stabbed multiple times and posed post mortem." said Hotch.

"Well, he demeans his victims, that's for sure… Bound to a urinal with rope." said JJ, looking at the crime scene photos.

"He left one hell of a calling card." added Rossi.

"Well, the lack of blood suggests they were killed somewhere else and then disposed of here." said Morgan.

"The stab wounds are both shallow and deep. It could be a form of systematic torture." Spencer cringed inwardly at how croaky his voice sounded.

"Maybe he's inexperienced." said Victoria.

"With this level of overkill, that doesn't seem really plausible." said Morgan.

"And there are no obvious signs of sexual assault." added Lewis.

"He's sadistic, so the stabbing could be getting him off." JJ replied.

"He doesn't stop there, he removed their left ears." added Rossi.

"Could be keeping them as a trophy," suggested Victoria.

"The disposal sites are 177.6 miles apart. He probably thought by crossing state lines that he could prevent the authorities from connecting the two murders." Spencer added.

"Well, I gate to state the obvious but we're most likely looking for a truck driver." said Morgan.

"Atlanta is one of the country's top long haul hubs. It is one of the few cities in America that is serviced by three major interstates." Spencer said.

"Well there are hundreds of open cases in the HSK database. Finding this unsub is gonna be like finding a needle in a haystack." said Lewis.

"With the ability to move around the nation, there's nothing to suggest he'll stop anytime soon. Wheels up in thirty." Hotch announced.

Spencer grabbed his bag and hurried out of the conference room, desperate to get away from Victoria and the prying eyes of his team.

…

Spencer frowned at the coroner. "He stabbed through a bag? That's unusual for a sadist." he commented.

"They get off on watching their victims as they inflict pain." Morgan explained.

"Well it appears that the killer tried numerous times to stab but hit the bone before he got it right." said the coroner, gesturing to the wounds in one of the victim's flesh.

Spencer leaned over the body to examine the shallow wounds. "This might not be overkill like we initially thought. This could be exactly the opposite. Yeah, look: there are placement errors and hesitation marks, which tells me he's improvising."

"He's struggling through the kill like it's the first time." said Morgan, his eyebrows knitting together.

"What if it is? Victoria may have been right: we could be dealing with a killer who's not yet comfortable with killing." Spencer said.

"That doesn't make any sense. Based on disposal sites, we profiled this killer had experience with killing." Morgan replied.

Spencer frowned. "Yet the actual murders tell a far different story."

They thanked the coroner for his help and headed back to the station, where they filled in Rossi and JJ on their findings. "I don't get it. How can this guy be organized and disorganized at the same time?" Rossi asked.

"These are two completely split M.O.'s. We have to consider this unsub might have a partner." said Morgan.

"That means he's a silent partner. Both disposal sites only showed evidence of one person." said JJ.

"Chances are if there was a partner, he'd wanna participate in the kill." said Rossi.

"It's a weird dichotomy typically seen when an unsub is in the early stages of becoming a killer." Spencer added.

"Early stages? As in you think this killer could be a kid?" demanded the lead detective.

"No, I think he's lived with the fantasy for quite some time but it's only now that he's acting on it." Spencer replied.

"Only things didn't quite go as planned, so he struggles through the murder trying to match the actual kill to his long staging fantasy." added JJ.

"And it's only a matter of time before his hesitation in the actual murder catches up with his staging fantasy." Morgan muttered darkly.

The lead detective grimaced. Spencer turned back to the geographical profile, hoping to narrow something down before the killer struck again.

…

"Victim's name is Linda Calvary. Works as a realtor based in downtown. Janitor discovered the body and alerted police." said the lead detective.

Victoria peered down at the lifeless woman. Pools of drying blood caked the floor. "The unsub didn't take her to a second location to kill her." she muttered.

"Did it right here." agreed Lewis, eyeing the blood. She moved carefully, so as not to step in it as she got closer to the body.

"And he placed her in the stall. Maybe wanted more privacy this time. Didn't bother using a burlap bag, either." said the detective.

"He no longer needs a barrier between him and his victims." said Morgan.

"No hesitation marks." announced Lewis.

"Why change his M.O. now?" queried the detective.

"Well, it's like we profiled. He's getting more confident." said Victoria.

"Probably getting closer to his ideal target." Morgan agreed. His phone rang. He answered it. "Hey, what up, Mama?"

"I was able to narrow down my search down to five trucking companies, but they all checked out. None had trucks on those particular routes." said Garcia.

"Well, truck stops aren't important to him 'cause he's not a trucker." said Morgan.

"They're important to him for another reason." Victoria murmured.

"But with the knowledge of the trucks and patterns, he's gotta have some connection to the industry." said Lewis.

"Whoa…" said Penelope.

"What is it, Garcia?" Victoria asked.

"I just found some somethin' somethin' on Frank Meyers, our first victim. Before he was homeless, he worked in family court services as a public defender in Harrington Count. And there's more… Our third victim, Linda Calvary, she just got a real estate license four months ago. Before that she worked as a nurse and she testified in a number the same cases that Frank worked." Garcia explained.

"Two out of three victims worked the court system." muttered Lewis, her brow furrowing.

"These victims weren't random; they were targeted." Morgan realized.

"The unsub is working off a kill list." Victoria said.

"It's time to give the profile." Morgan announced. With one last glance at Linda Calvary's body, Victoria left the truck stop restroom and headed to the station with Morgan and Lewis.

She waited for the police force to gather around the BAU team. Standing in front of so many people always made her nervous. The fact that she was standing right next to Spencer didn't help.

"We believe the unsub we're looking for is what we call a Rectification Killer. He's targeting people that he thinks are responsible for causing some sort of trauma in his childhood." Hotch announced.

"These feelings have been festering in his mind for decades as evidenced by the degree of rage." Morgan said.

"Because of the complexity of victimology, we believe the unsub is a white male in his thirties or forties." said Lewis.

"The victims actually interacted with the unsub when he was a child and they were working the family court system." JJ said.

"It's possible he was removed from his family for his own safety but was too young at the time to know the severity of the situation." Morgan added.

"Now that he's an adult, he thinks it's his mission to seek revenge on those who separated him from his family." Spencer said.

"It's possible the triggering event was the separation or death of one or both his parents." said Hotch.

"Check for rulings of a child being placed in the foster care system or put up for adoption." Rossi advised.

"This guy is exhibiting an irresistible compulsion by posing his victims at truck stop restrooms despite the escalating risks." said Morgan.

"And this indicates that his childhood trauma has some direct link to these types of locations." added Lewis.

"Focus on cases that involve a parent or guardian connected to the trucking industry or who have spent long periods of time traveling on the open road." Victoria remarked.

"We believe that locating this place will be the key to finding him," said Hotch. "Thank you."

…

Spencer frowned as he listened to Garcia typing away on her keyboard. "Okay, Claire Westcheshire's students… Oh, boy. Claire reported abuse… The kid Randy Martin aged out of the system and disappeared, but at the same time, Randy Jacobs popped up. His birth mother, Flora Martin, was raped… It was the same M.O. as the murders." Garcia explained.

"That's gotta be our guy." said Rossi.

"His mother is an insane asylum, already sent the address and Randy Jacobs's home address has been sent too!" Garcia exclaimed.

"Thanks, Garcia," said Hotch. "All right, I want Reid, JJ and Rossi to go to Jacobs's house. Lewis, Parker and Morgan go talk to Flora Martin, see if there's any information we can get. If she's been feeding Randy the kill list, we need to know and we need to know who else is on that list."

Spencer felt his shoulders relax slightly. Victoria was not going into the field. She would be safe. He glanced at her but she avoided his gaze. His stomach twisted itself into knots. What else had he expected?

…

"Flora, we know what happened to you. You're glad Randy is doing this because you still want revenge. You're willing to ruin your son's life in the name of vengeance." Lewis said.

Flora looked up sharply, her eyes pooling with tears. "You would want revenge, too," she seethed. She pulled back her hair to show a missing ear. "He did this to me. He said that whenever I looked in the mirror, I would remember him."

"As if you needed a physical reminder." Victoria sympathized. She could relate to Flora on some level. She would never forget Korey's hands on her body. And now she had scars to remind her every day of what happened in her barn.

"Flora, you killed six truckers. Why'd you stop?" Lewis asked.

"I got caught." Flora replied.

"No, you eluded the authorities for months before they found you holed up in that barn outside the city. You could've easily kept killing, but you stopped." said Lewis.

"It was time to give up." said Flora.

"I don't think you gave up. I think you stopped because you found who you were looking for." Victoria said.

"The man who raped you. Randy's father. His father is out at that barn, isn't he?" Lewis murmured.

Victoria widened her eyes. "And so is Randy."

They raced out of the insane asylum. Morgan hopped into the front seat of the SUV and floored it. Victoria put on her bulletproof vest in the backseat. They reached the barn and jumped out of the car, drawing their guns. Morgan led the way to the door. They could hear Chloe, Randy's fiancée (Victoria suspected soon-to-be ex), crying inside. Morgan kicked the door open. He pointed his gun at Randy, who had a knife to Chloe's throat. "Randy Jacobs, FBI. Let her go." Morgan barked.

"Stay away. Stay away!" Randy cried.

"Drop the knife, Randy." said Lewis calmly.

"Please listen to them!" Chloe begged.

"Do you know why you brought Chloe here? This place means something to you." said Lewis.

"Randy, your mother's been using you since you were a child. That's why you were taken from her." Morgan explained.

"You were her proxy. She needed you to continue her dirty work." said Lewis.

"She was using you back then and she's still using you now." Morgan added.

Victoria watched Randy's face screw with disbelief. "Randy, your mother forced you to participate in the murder of your father. And then the two of you buried him here." she said.

Randy shook his head, though he looked like he was faltering. "C'mon, man. We all have choices." said Morgan.

"It's not too late for you to choose to do the right thing." said Lewis.

"You do not have to be defined by the sins of your father or your mother." Victoria added.

Randy squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his face. His arms dropped to his sides and the knife fell to the floor. Chloe rushed forward. Victoria and Lewis caught the hysterical girl. Randy dropped to his knees as Morgan arrested him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Randy sobbed. Victoria glanced at Chloe, who glared at Randy. Victoria rubbed the girl's shoulder, her heart clenching.

…

"Who's up for some dinner?" Rossi asked.

"I'm game." said Morgan.

"Oh, I'm starving!" agreed Garcia. JJ, Hotch and Lewis both nodded in agreement. Spencer gave a thumbs up. They glanced at Victoria, who cringed slightly.

"I have to pass, you guys. I made plans." she said. Zack's grey Acura pulled up. Spencer clenched his teeth. Victoria waved goodbye and slid into the passenger seat. Zack drove off, taking Spencer's appetite with him.

"Well, I guess we're not her favorites anymore." said Rossi, sounding miffed.

"No, just one of us isn't," said JJ, turning her gaze to Spencer.

He shuffled his feet. "You don't think she's avoiding dinner because of me, do you?"

"She wouldn't do that," said Garcia, waving a hand. "She's not silly. I mean, she's a goober, but not petty. She probably really had plans. C'mon, let's go to IHOP. I could use some red velvet pancakes."

The rest of the team agreed. Spencer trudged to his car, his breathing growing shallow. Perhaps Victoria and Zack were not really together… Something had seemed off about her tone… It didn't seem like proper date time, anyway. Spencer pursed his lips. Maybe Victoria had really just wanted to get away from Spencer. His heart sank at the thought, but what could he do? This was their realty. Only time would heal the agony. Spencer doubted that it would ever truly heal. Maybe it would dull to an ache, but it would never disappear. Not fully. He exited his car and took a seat at the table Morgan had gotten. The rest of the team chatted animatedly, but Spencer could only stare at his glass of water. He could not be around Victoria and hurt this much. He was miserable.

"Spence, why don't you talk about it?" JJ suggested.

Spencer looked up to see the whole team staring at him. He wrinkled his nose. "There's nothing to talk about." he insisted.

The storm clouding JJ's eyes was echoed in the rest of the team's expressions. "Liar." Garcia accused. She sipped from her milk, eyes flickering toward the ceiling in feigned innocence.

Spencer met JJ's gaze. Her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. Spencer glanced at his hands. "You're upset with me." he muttered.

"Damn right I am," JJ snapped. "Spence you are the smartest person I know –that all of us know –but this is the stupidest thing you have ever done."

"Why? I'm just trying to protect her from a lot of pain down the road." Spencer argued.

"You've caused her a lot of pain now," JJ insisted. "And yourself! Not only have you broken her heart, you've broken yours, too. Is it really worth it?"

Spencer stared at the table and blinked back tears. "I have to hope so."

"So you're hoping you'll develop dementia just so that you don't have to admit you were an asshole?" JJ countered.

Spencer looked up. "Of course not," he snapped, "I have to hope I'm doing the right thing, otherwise I've caused her a lot of unnecessary pain."

"This whole thing is unnecessary." said Lewis.

"You want her to move on? Let her do that if or when you develop dementia. If it happens, that can be a bride you cross when you come to it, kiddo." said Rossi.

"You could be one of those couples who remember each other, despite everything!" Garcia cried.

"She already has moved on. That guy, Zack." Spencer muttered, his eyes burning with tears. How had she moved on so quickly?

"Spence, that's not her boyfriend." JJ sighed.

Spencer looked up. "He's not?"

JJ shook her head. "It could never happen between them."

"Why not?" Spencer frowned.

Garcia giggled. "Because Zack is probably more interested in you than her."

Spencer's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Zack's gay," JJ explained, "and Victoria loves you."

"Reid," said Hotch, "I know this is scary. I know you want what's best for her, but you don't get to decide that. Relationships are scary. There's a lot of unknown involved with them. Sometimes they fall apart. But I think that happens because people stop trying. It takes work. That's what love is. It's forgiveness and compromise and communication and giving and taking. It's mutual support and friendship. Love requires sacrifice. That's why my marriage failed. It's not about you. It's about the two of you working as a well-oiled machine. It's about holding onto each other, for better or worse. It's risking everything to keep each other close. You have that with Victoria. Don't let it go just because you're scared of what might happen."

"Who cares if you look like a jackass?" Morgan added.

"In a world where divorce and infidelity are the norm, it takes real love to fight to hold on. Victoria is still fighting. You're still fighting. That's why you broke up with her in the first place. You love her, Spencer. You're fighting to keep her happy." said Lewis.

"But you can't be scared," said Rossi, "she's the best person to be your support. You need her. She needs you. For the love of this team, get back together."

Spencer stared at his team members, who stared right back. He put his face in his hands. He didn't have an answer. God, he wanted her back. He loved her so much. But he didn't want to live to see the day where she decided he was too much, that it was too difficult. "I don't want her to leave me." he whispered.

"Reid, she loves you." Morgan said.

"What if that isn't enough? All these things that have been said are great, but I already knew all this. Sometimes, love isn't enough." Spencer snapped.

"That's where the work comes in," JJ offered. "And maybe one day she does leave. But at least you had this time together, right?"

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "Right…"

…

Victoria entered the bullpen, her eyes feeling sore and puffy from the night before. She took a seat at her desk across from Spencer and got to work on all the papers. Rossi strode up to her. "What's the big idea, blowing us off last night?" he accused. "I know you two broke up, but you don't have to avoid the rest of us."

Victoria glanced around at the team. They had gathered around, putting her on the spot. She felt her cheeks grow warm. "I didn't avoid dinner because of Reid," she admitted, "I was on the phone with my grandmother last night."

Rossi cringed. "I was just teasing, kiddo."

"How is she?" asked Penelope.

Victoria pursed her lips. "Getting worse."

"Oh, I'm sorry." said Penelope, rubbing Victoria's arm.

"It's okay." she said, biting back tears.

"Come work in my office today. The lighting's not as harsh." Penelope offered.

Victoria nodded. She noticed Spencer's crumpled expression but ignored him. She grabbed her stack of papers and followed Penelope toward the batcave. She paused. "I'll be right there." she promised Penelope.

Victoria slipped inside Hotch's office and waited for him to enter. He took a seat at his desk. "Parker," he greeted her, "are you coming to take time off?"

"No," Victoria said, her voice shaking, "I've come to request a transfer."

Hotch stared at her. "Parker…"

"I can't do this anymore," Victoria whispered. "Hotch, please. It breaks my heart to be here, to be around him constantly. I'm never going to move on if I'm always with him."

Hotch frowned and leaned forward in his chair. "Do you really want to transfer just because of Reid?"

Victoria nodded. "It's not getting better."

"Okay," Hotch sighed, "but I want to see you work one more case. I've been trying to keep you two separated as much as possible. I want you to work one case with him as your primary partner. If it's still too much for you, we'll talk about transferring you."

"Thank you, sir." Victoria dipped her head and moved to exit Hotch's office.

"Victoria," Hotch called quietly. Victoria paused in the doorway. "As your friend, I think you should stay. Reid is just as heartbroken as you."

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "And as my boss?"

Hotch was quiet for a few heartbeats. "I think a transfer would be wise."

 **…** **...**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! It really means so much to me. Putting your work out for others to view, even fanfiction, is terrifying. Having so much support is awesome! Please keep it up guys and let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	36. Chapter 36

**_Hostage_**

"Last night, this girl, Gina Bryant, flagged down a police car in St. Louis. She was wearing nothing but a dirty nightgown, she was barefoot and she told them that she had been kidnapped when she was eight." Penelope said.

"That girl's gotta be nineteen or twenty years old." said Morgan.

"Eighteen," corrected Penelope, "and they confirmed her identity. She was a foster kid who disappeared ten years ago."

"She's been in captivity this whole time?" JJ demanded.

"Long term hostage… That's rare. We got another Ariel Castro here?" Rossi speculated.

"Funny you should say that. Not ha-ha funny, weird funny. She told police she was held captive with this girl, Sheila Woods, fifteen years old who disappeared from Nashville seven years ago. Also she said there was another girl too, but all she knows about her is that her name is Violet and she's older." said Garcia.

"I'm assuming you checked the missing children's database?" Rossi guessed.

"Affirmative. There's no Violet anywhere." said Garcia.

"Did Gina say anything about her captor?" Spencer asked.

"Just that his name was Tom and he was an older white dude." said Garcia.

"Where were they being held?" Victoria questioned.

"Gina took the cops there. They found Sheila. Sheila's at the hospital, very ill, yet to be determined. Violet was nowhere to be found." Garcia said, clicking the remote to flash an image of a house on the screen.

"Probably safe to assume she's with the unsub." Hotch muttered.

"Who owns the house?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, that's where it gets even weirder! This woman, Clara Riggins, she's MIA but her checking account is active, she pays her bills on time and if my math is correct, she's a hundred and eight years old." said Garcia.

"I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna bet she had nothing to do with the kidnapping." said Rossi.

"Well the real question is, where's the unsub and this other girl Violet?" Morgan asked.

"That's what we're gonna find out. Lewis is on a research assignment. Wheels up in thirty." Hotch replied.

…

"Both Gina and Sheila were grabbed when they were eight." said JJ.

:And both just blocks away from their home." Morgan added.

Victoria shifted in her seat aboard the plane. She was sitting next to Spencer, her shoulder barely brushing his. Good grief, even sitting next to him hurt. How was she supposed to work this case with a clear head and good attitude if she could hardly bear to sit next to him? Rossi mentioned the unsub leaving no witnesses, snapping Victoria away from her own discomfort. The case was more important than her own misery.

"There's an excellent chance he stalked them as well. Clean getaways usually mean they know daily routines and are familiar with the area." Spencer's voice sent Victoria's stomach churning with wasps.

"Which means this guy's patient. He has a plan which says he has patterns, too." Morgan added.

"This guy's more than just a preferential pedophile. His victims are children, but that's probably more about establishing control. Long term captivity is his goal." said Rossi.

"We've seen profiles like this before. There's always a sexual assault component to their M.O." said Victoria.

"Hello, all! I just sent you the 4-1-1 on statements and police reports. Turns out the neighbors haven't seen Clara Riggins in several years but they also know who this Tom guy is. According to one lady, Tom told her he was Clara's grandson, but I triple-checked, Clara doesn't have any relatives anywhere." said Garcia, her face flashing upon the computer screen.

"Did we get a description from any of the neighbors?" queried Hotch.

"Affirmative. They also gave the make and model of Tom's blue van, but it's a pretty common vehicle. I've got a long list of registered owners. So far the three Tom's and Thomas's all check out." said Garcia.

"All right, stay on it." said Hotch.

"You know I will, sir." said Garcia. She ended the video conference, her face disappearing from the screen.

"When we land, Dave and Morgan go to the house. JJ, Parker, Reid and I will go to the hospital to talk to the girls to see if there's anything they remember." Hotch said.

Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. She ignored Spencer the rest of the flight, though she noticed him glancing at her out of the corner of her eye several times. They landed at last and exited the jet. Victoria started to follow JJ to one of the SUV's waiting for them, but Hotch grabbed her by the arm. She paused. Hotch pulled Spencer aside, too.

"I already told Parker this, but the two of you are going to be working closely on this case together. I need to know that your situation will not interfere with your work. Understood?" Hotch said.

Spencer and Victoria nodded. She shot Hotch a grateful glance for not mentioning her transfer request. She didn't want the rest of the team to know just yet.

…

"Agents, thank you for waiting." said Dr. Givens.

"Of course. How is she?" Hotch asked, inclining his head toward Sheila Woods, who was unconscious in her hospital bed.

"Looks like she had complications from a miscarriage. Her infections are aseptic, and we had to perform and emergency hysterectomy. She has several old scars on her back, too. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were from a whip." replied Dr. Givens.

"Any idea when she might wake up?" asked JJ.

"There's no way to tell." said Dr. Givens.

"What about Gina Bryant?" asked Spencer.

"She's doing much better. Malnourished, dehydrated, couple of nasty cuts and bruises but she should be okay. Physically, anyway." said Dr. Givens.

"Do you think she's able to answer a few questions?" Hotch asked.

"She was pretty agitated when she came in, so we gave her a mild sedative. But she has the same scars on her back. And she's got a bunch of old injuries that didn't heal properly. Broken ribs, tibia and a couple of fingers. I hope you catch the guy who did this." Dr. Givens shook his head and pursed his lips before turning away. Spencer licked his lips and knitted his brow. He followed Victoria and JJ to Gina Bryant's hospital room.

Gina's eyes widened in panic when she saw the three strange people in her room. She pushed herself into a sitting position, the color draining from her face. Victoria stepped forward. "Hi, Gina. My name is Victoria. These are my friends, Jennifer and Spencer."

"Hi." Spencer said, his voice cracking slightly. He hadn't heard his own name on Victoria's lips in two weeks. She had referred to him as "Reid" since their split.

"We're with FBI. Do you know what that is?" JJ asked.

"A police?" asked Gina.

"Something like that." JJ murmured.

"I already talked to the police." Gina said.

"Well, we're a little bit different. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Victoria asked.

"Okay." Gina allowed.

"Can you tell me about the day you were kidnapped?" Victoria said gently.

Gina looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with Spencer, JJ and Victoria. "I went to the park, forgot my sweatshirt, but I didn't wanna go home." Gina recalled, her voice wavering.

"Why not?" JJ queried.

"Trisha was mean." Gina replied.

"Your foster mother, Trisha Gilmore?" Spencer clarified.

"Her kids, too. They said I wasn't worth the money they made off me." Gina muttered.

"So you went to the playground to get away from them?" Victoria guessed.

"I went to all kinds of places. But mostly there." Gina confirmed.

"What happened that day?" Spencer asked.

"I saw Violet." Gina said.

"Violet, the girl you were held hostage with?" JJ replied.

"She was waiting for her dad to pick her up. And that's when he came." Gina said, her hands gathering fistfuls of the sheets around her.

"Who? Tom?" Victoria murmured.

"He had this little puppy. He asked me if I wanted to give him treats. He said that he went crazy for treats. They were in his car. But it wasn't a car, it was a van. And he opened the door, and he pushed me in, and he hit me. I tasted my blood and my eyes were watery and he said I'd better listen or he was gonna hit me again. We drove for a long time… But I never saw the puppy again. I'm sorry… He was so little! I don't know where he went, though! I'm sorry!" Gina dissolved into tears, her face screwed up in distress. Spencer felt his own face soften.

Victoria placed a hand on Gina's. "It's okay, shh… It's not your fault… It's okay…"

Gina's tears subsided after a few minutes. She sniffled, looking at the agents. "C-can I leave the room? I-I'm tired of being in here…"

Victoria glanced back at Spencer and JJ, her brow furrowed. Spencer looked around the room. He caught sight of the wheelchair. He rolled it over to the bedside. JJ and Victoria helped Gina out of bed and into the wheelchair. Spencer rolled the girl out of the hospital room and down the hall. He remembered seeing a hall with windows on a map of the hospital. He figured Gina would appreciate the view. He led the others to the hall, Gina sitting in silence in her chair.

"Gina, do you have any idea where Tom might be right now?" JJ asked.

"Maybe his disappearing place?" Gina guessed.

"His disappearing place?" Spencer prompted.

"He'd always leave. I always liked it when he was gone, though he didn't leave much food." said Gina.

"Do you know where the disappearing place is?" JJ asked.

"I didn't get to go. He only ever took Violet and Sheila, once. They were more special." said Gina.

"Why were they more special?" Victoria asked. Spencer parked the wheelchair by a bench, making sure to face Gina toward the windows. Victoria and JJ sank onto the bench before Gina.

"Because they were good. They never fought!" Gina said.

"But you did." Victoria's tone held no question.

"I hated calling him 'Daddy' and I wouldn't say my name." replied Gina.

"What do you mean you wouldn't say your name?" JJ asked.

"Rose. He tried to call me that." Gina shuddered.

"Did Sheila or Violet ever talk about the disappearing place?" Spencer queried.

Gina shook her head. "It was a secret. It would make Tom mad if they did."

"Well, what about Tom? Did he ever talk about it?" JJ prompted.

"One time when he was nice. He brought pizza." said Gina, her lips twitching fondly.

"Do you remember what he said?" Spencer asked.

"That one day maybe I could go. Then… Then he wanted me to go behind the curtain." Gina rubbed her neck. She twitched and jerked in agitation, like a horse's skin when a fly landed on it. "Sometimes I didn't fight as much when Sheila got there."

"Why not?" Victoria asked.

"Because we had to take care of her. We had to keep him happy. But I made sure she remembered her real name, no matter what." Gina replied.

"What about Violet? Do you know her real name?" Spencer murmured.

Gina pinched her nose between her fingers and rubbed her forehead. She wrinkled her face. "Mm… Just Violet. Sometimes he called her Vi." Her tone suggested agitation.

"Did Tom ever mention someone named Clara?" JJ asked.

"She liked flowers. That's where we got our names. He called Sheila 'Daisy'." Gina answered.

"Did you ever see Clara?" Victoria asked.

"No… But sometimes I was good, and he'd let me go outside at nighttime and we planted flowers. He said they were for Clara." Gina said.

Spencer exchanged a glance with JJ. They returned Gina to her hospital room. Spencer left to retrieve a file from Hotch. He headed back to Gina's room.

"This one turns the volume up and down and if you wanna change the channel –if you wanna watch something different –you press this button…" Victoria was muttering, leaning over a remote in Gina's hands.

"Victoria," Spencer whispered. Victoria glanced back at him. She turned to Gina.

"I'll be right back." she promised. She strode over to Spencer, who handed over the file.

"Composite sketch of the unsub. Garcia's running facial recognition against a list of van owners. How's she doing?" Spencer said.

Victoria looked up from the crude sketch of the unsub. "It's a lot. She has no money, no family and a second grade education… Not to mention a lifetime of PTSD…" Victoria trailed off as several nurses and doctors rushed past to Sheila's room.

"That can't be good." JJ muttered.

"Looks like Sheila might be coding." Spencer deduced.

"What's coding? Is that Sheila? Is she okay?" Gina demanded. She rushed out of her room. Victoria caught her.

"Okay, you know what? Let them work. You don't want to get in their way." Victoria said, standing in front of Gina in order to block the girl's path.

A scream from down the hall sent chills down Spencer's spine. Sheila's mother struggled against Hotch, howling for her daughter. "Is she okay? Sheila? SHEILA!" shrieked Gina. Spencer glanced back at Gina. The girl was fighting to get past Victoria, who was holding her own against the other girl. "What's wrong? What's wrong with her? I have to help her!"

Victoria caught Gina by the wrists, keeping her at bay. Gina dissolved into sobs. She collapsed into Victoria's arms, weeping. Victoria held Gina close, stroking her hair. She glanced up at Spencer. He watched her lips curve downward and her eyebrows pinch. The color in her cheeks faded into white as she struggled to comfort the hysterical Gina. Spencer gave Victoria a reassuring nod. She was doing well. Victoria looked slightly relieved by Spencer's nod. She led Gina into the hospital room after finally calming her down. Spencer watched after Victoria for several seconds. He felt someone else's eyes on him and looked down at JJ. She offered him a knowing smile. His brow knitted and the corners of his mouth fell. Hotch walked over.

"Garcia found a match," he said, handing Spencer a photo of a plump, blond man. "Michael Clark Thompson. See if Gina recognizes him."

Spencer nodded and slipped inside the hospital room. Victoria strode over to him. "What is it?" she asked, folding her arms.

"Garcia got a hit," Spencer explained, passing the picture to Victoria. Her face wrinkled.

"He looks like a rat," she muttered. Spencer raised his eyebrows. He hadn't thought of it that way, but now that Victoria mentioned it, he did notice rat-like features in Thompson's face. "I'll see if Gina recognizes him." She walked over to Gina, who was staring straight ahead, remnants of her tears still pooled in her eyes. "Gina, is this him?" Victoria said gently, showing Gina the picture.

"Yeah. Get it away, please." Gina snapped. Victoria hid the picture from Gina's eyes and turned toward Spencer. She gave him a nod. He slipped out of the hospital room and rushed to inform Hotch.

"She confirmed it was him." Spencer said.

"I'll issue an APB." Hotch replied. He stalked away. Spencer looked at JJ.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" he demanded.

"You know she looks at you when she's unsure of something, right? You're her rock, Spence." JJ said.

Spencer glanced toward Gina's hospital room, where Victoria was. "Really?"

"When Gina was upset, Parker looked at you. She didn't seem sure of herself until you nodded. She looked to you for support, Spence. You think she can just go out and find any guy to make her happy, and maybe you're right, but she wants you. You mean so much to her. You think she doesn't need you? You're wrong, Spence. She looked at you. She won't find someone else. She'll always be pining after you. And that's a pain that will never leave her." JJ replied.

Spencer met JJ's gaze. "Don't profile us, JJ." he muttered. He walked away, his chest clenching.

…

"She's refusing treatment. She won't even give us her last name." said Dr. Givens as he led Victoria, JJ, Hotch and Reid to Violet's hospital room.

"That's probably because she doesn't remember it herself." said Spencer.

"Violet isn't even her real name. It's most likely the name he gave her." said JJ.

"We do need to talk to her." said Hotch.

"Well, you can try. You might have better luck than I did." said Dr. Givens, stopping in front of Violet's room. He left the agents to their job.

Victoria looked at Hotch. "It might take some time to get through to her." she warned.

"All right. See what you can find out. I'm gonna go question Thompson." Hotch replied. He walked away to question Michael Clark Thompson, who had been brought it not an hour ago.

"She's probably child-level in socializing exactly like Gina and if she was in captivity the longest, she almost certainly fell victim to intense trauma bonding." Spencer muttered.

"Let's go," Victoria muttered. She followed JJ inside the hospital room.

"Hi. Violet? My name's Jennifer." said JJ.

"And I'm Victoria and this is Spencer." said Victoria, gesturing to Spencer.

He waved slightly. "Hi."

"Can we go now? My daddy and I gotta go." said Violet, her tone trembling.

"When you say 'daddy,' do you mean Tom?" JJ queried.

"I… I don't… I don't call him that." Violet's face wrinkled, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"You know that's not actually his real name? His name is Michael Clark Thompson. Tom's just a name he made up." Victoria said gently.

"Kind of like your name, Violet. Do you remember your real name?" Spencer added, his tone matching Victoria's gentleness.

"I need my daddy. We need to go." said Violet.

"Where is it you need to go? Maybe we can help you." said Spencer.

Violet's demeanor shifted. The agitated confusion gave way to cold realization. "He said you would do that."

"Do what?" JJ prompted.

"Ask questions and lie. Especially about him." said Violet.

"We know what he did to you, Violet. Gina told us everything." said JJ.

"You found her? Did you find Daisy, too?" Violet demanded, her eyes brightening.

Victoria glanced at Spencer. The twinge of dread and regret churning in her stomach was reflected in his eyes. "Her real name is Sheila, Sheila Woods. And yes, we did." Spencer said slowly.

"She was super sick. Is she okay?" Violet said.

"I'm sorry, but… no. She's not. The doctors did everything they could, but… She didn't make it. She died… I'm so sorry." Victoria murmured. Violet's eyes filled with tears and her eyebrows slanted upward while her forehead tightened. The corners of her mouth dropped. Her expression sliced at Victoria's heart. This part of the job was always the heaviest.

"You don't have to be afraid of him anymore. We can help you." JJ said.

Violet's despair shattered and anger surged forth. "He said you would say that, too! You don't know anything, okay? I would be dead without him! He's the only one who loves me!" she yelled.

Victoria closed her eyes. "Violet, please…" She didn't blame Violet for being angry and confused. She had just learned that one of her closest friends was dead. Her whole world, as fucked up as it was, was falling apart.

"I gotta go! Please! I've been good. I haven't done anything bad. Can I go now?" Violet begged.

Victoria glanced at Spencer. JJ pursed her lips. The three of them withdrew from Violet's room. "We should go tell Hotch." said JJ.

Victoria nodded. The team found an empty lounge room. Victoria bought a Dr. Pepper to reawaken her senses. They had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours. Spencer made himself a coffee that consisted of more sugar than coffee. The others already had empty coffee cups and were currently sipping on their second. Rossi plopped himself into a chair and shook his head. " _Nothing to hide_ my ass!" he scoffed.

"The preliminary M.E. report does suggest that Clara Riggins died of natural causes." said Spencer, reading said report.

"I think he's telling the truth about that. He didn't kill her." Hotch said.

"I'm sorry guys, but I can't stop thinking about Violet. She could not wait to get out of here like it was urgent. It was all she could talk about." JJ said from her spot in the doorway.

Victoria glanced at her and frowned. That was true… "Well she's been held captive for most of her life. This all has to be a tremendous shock." said Rossi.

"No question about that, but it was more. It was like she had somewhere specific in mind and needs Tom to go with her." said JJ.

"Well, Tom conditioned her to depend on him for everything." Hotch reasoned.

"Conditioning requires you to do something over and over again," said Victoria slowly. "He repeatedly abused them. I doubt she was itching to go do that."

"Maybe he rewarded her somehow." Rossi suggested, nodding.

"What if she has a child?" JJ said. "Where else would you wanna go so badly?"

"You know, that's not a stretch. Sheila Woods had a miscarriage. Maybe Violet brought one to term." said Rossi.

"We did profile that he might be trying to fill some kind of void since he didn't have a family." said Spencer.

"Yeah, but Gina Bryant never mentioned a baby." said Rossi

"Well, Violet could've had the baby before Gina was abducted. Gina wouldn't even know about it." Victoria replied, somewhat defensively of Gina.

"Well, if we're right about any of this, that means there's another kid out there somewhere." said Rossi.

"And who's taking care of it?" JJ questioned.

Victoria's stomach churned. She looked at JJ. "You should talk to Violet about this."

JJ frowned. "You have more experience in counseling."

"And you have more in profiling," said Victoria. "If Violet has had any children, I can't relate to that as well as you can. You're a mother. I think Violet might be willing to connect with another mother. And you probably know the right things to say more than I would."

JJ nodded. "Okay. I'll go talk to her."

Victoria watched JJ go. Rossi and Hotch were already discussing ways they could get Thompson to confess. Spencer was reading over the medical reports. Victoria bit her lip and exited the lounge room. She made her way to Gina's room. Gina looked up when Victoria entered. "Victoria," she said, "it's you."

Victoria smiled softly. "Sorry if I scared you."

Gina shook her head. "I just… I didn't think any more people would come. I've told you everything I know."

"I know," Victoria said. "I just thought… You might want to say goodbye to Sheila."

Gina's furrowed brow softened. Tears pooled in her eyes. "C-can I?"

"Of course," said Victoria. She helped Gina out of bed and led her down the hall to Sheila's room. Gina stopped in front of the door. She looked at Victoria, her eyes rounded with uncertainty. "Don't worry. I'll be right there with you." Victoria assured her.

Gina nodded. "Don't leave me."

"I won't," Victoria promised. They entered the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt Ms. Woods but this is Gina. She was with Sheila."

Sheila's mother's eyes roved over Gina, who heeded the woman no attention and went straight to Sheila's side. Victoria watched Gina's hands tremble as she took in Sheila's lifeless form. Victoria's chest clenched. Gina looked up at Ms. Woods. "I'm sorry. I tried to help her. I tried." Gina sobbed. Victoria's lips parted.

"Victoria," murmured Spencer. Victoria jumped. She hadn't expected him to be here. She turned to face him. "JJ has news."

Victoria nodded. She led Gina back to her own hospital room. Victoria stepped out to meet Spencer and JJ. "Violet had two daughters and calls them her sisters. She didn't understand exactly what pregnancy was, but I got through to her. Only Tom knows where the disappearing place is. That's where the daughters are. Garcia figured out who Violet is and we've contacted her parents."

"They're here," said Spencer, checking his phone. "I'll go meet them."

Victoria frowned. "What are we going to do?" she asked, walking with JJ toward Violet's room.

"Introduce them," JJ said grimly. "She could barely look at their phot. I can't imagine how she'll react to see them in person."

"Maybe we should give her more time. Psych has gotten the evaluation yet. She could become hostile or retreat into a catatonic state." said Dr. Givens.

"We don't have time. Amelia may have information about the missing children that her parents could unlock." said Hotch.

"It's a calculated risk but one we have to take." said Spencer.

"I'll go update them." JJ offered, striding toward the Hawthornes. Victoria turned to Hotch.

"Do you need me in there with them?" she asked.

"No, why?" Hotch asked.

"Gina's going to be cleared soon. I was just going to check on her one last time, make sure she has things in order." said Victoria.

Hotch nodded. "Be available, though."

"Yes sir." Victoria dipped her head.

…

Spencer forced himself to look away from Victoria. He had caught himself admiring her form in her off-white trousers. Her grey V-neck top was made of loose fabric, which allowed for flexibility in the amount of chest shown. Spencer felt his stomach churn in disgust. How could he think about that during this case? Besides, Victoria was not a piece of meat in his eyes. Sure, she was attractive, but he had always been diligent about turning his sex drive off when on a case. But the distance from her seemed to have multiplied his observance of her. He rubbed his face in his hands.

"Reid," said Hotch, rounding the corner. "Morgan and JJ are getting the girls. Go get Parker. It's time to go."

Spencer nodded. He whisked off for Gina Bryant's room. He poked his head inside. Victoria was handing Gina a slip of paper. "If you ever need anything, even just someone to talk to, just give me a call or write me a letter." Victoria said.

Gina looked at the paper. She looked up at Victoria. "Thank you. For everything."

Victoria nodded. "Of course."

"Victoria," Spencer called quietly. Victoria glanced at him. "It's time to go."

Spencer glanced around as several nurses and doctors rushed past. He frowned but didn't think anything of it. Gina waved goodbye to Victoria and Spencer as they left the room. Spencer kept his mouth shut as they strode down the hall. Victoria slowed to a stop. Spencer paused and looked at her. "She'll be okay." he assured her.

Victoria glanced back toward Gina's room. "You think so?"

Spencer pursed his lips. "There are lots of programs for people with behavioral issues and traumatic disorders to help them get on their feet. And she has Amelia Hawthorne for emotional support. She has you. She's not alone."

Victoria nodded. "Thanks."

Spencer pursed his lips. "Yeah."

…

Victoria heard her phone buzz. She glanced at it. It was a text from Garcia.

 _Girls' night?_

Victoria sighed. She wasn't sure if she felt like going out tonight. She was about to reply when JJ sent a text, via group message.

 _Yes! Will has the boys and I can finally drink alcohol!_

Savannah sent a message, too.

 _Hallelujah! I need some girl time… P.S. V- Spencer is coming over tonight to meet Derek for dinner. We could make it seem like you're just picking me up… Just wear something super hot._

 _JJ: Yes! This is our chance, V!_

 _Penelope: We could help pick out your outfit!_

 _JJ: And do your hair and makeup_

Victoria smiled to herself and rolled her eyes. She texted back a hasty response.

 _Okay, okay!_

 _Savannah: Hurry up, you guys! Spencer is coming over around 7._

 _JJ: I'll just bring my clothes over to V's so I can get there faster._

 _Penelope: Same! Be there in 25._

Victoria grinned and rolled her eyes. She slipped her phone into her back pocket and headed outside with her dogs. The air had a slight chill to it, warning the coming of fall. Her eyes flickered toward the barn. She hadn't stepped foot in there since the incident with Korey. She sat down on her porch, gazing at the property around her. She enjoyed living out there, but… The house was too big for just her. It had been good for her brothers, but now… It was too empty. The barn remained untouched by her. She hadn't even cleaned it up since Korey.

Her phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket. It was Hotch. She answered it. "Hey, Hotch."

"We didn't get a chance to talk after we got back. Have you decided yet?" said Hotch.

Victoria's mouth went dry. "I… Yeah, I have. I want to transfer."

Hotch was quiet for a long time. "Okay," he said eventually. "I'll give you the paperwork on Monday."

"Thank you. And… I'll tell the rest of the team. It should come from me." said Victoria.

"Agreed. I'll see you on Monday morning, Parker." said Hotch.

"Yes sir. Thank you." Victoria hung up, her eyes burning slightly. Her throat swelled with emotion. She cleared it. "Lumos! Nox! Let's go inside!"

…

"They're coming here?" Spencer demanded, trying to hide his indignation.

"Just to pick me up." said Savannah simply.

"They won't be here long, Reid. Then we're meeting Hotch and Rossi." said Morgan.

Spencer sighed. "I just… Being around her isn't easy."

"It won't be for long. It's not like I'm locking you in a room with her for a few hours." Morgan replied.

Spencer looked up sharply. "If you do that…"

Morgan chuckled. "Relax, kid."

"Hello!" called Penelope. Spencer glanced over at the front door as Penelope sidled into the house. She looked good in her silver bodycon dress. JJ followed, looking as beautiful as ever in her black spaghetti dress. Victoria entered the house last. Spencer widened his eyes. She wore a pair of distressed, tight jeans and black heels. Her top was a long sleeved, maroon shirt with a loose, plunging neckline. A black, lacy bralette peeked out from the dip in her maroon top. Her hair had been braided to the side. Gold earrings dangled from her ears. Her eyes were dark and smoky while her lips were painted red. She had left her glasses behind for the night.

"Damn, Parker," said Morgan, grinning at Victoria. She rolled her eyes.

"Are we ready?" cried Savannah.

"Let's go!" Penelope sang.

"Remember to call us if you need a ride home." said Morgan.

"We will!" Savannah kissed Morgan's cheek. The girls left the house, their laughter still echoing in the halls.

…

"Did you see the look on Reid's face? That was awesome!" laughed Penelope.

"I didn't look at him." Victoria admitted.

"He looked at you!" Penelope assured her.

"He couldn't take his eyes off you." said JJ.

"He might need a cold shower later, if ya catch my drift." said Penelope, giggling.

Victoria flushed. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't ignore the twinge of hope. They entered the club and immediately bought shots. Victoria didn't care much for hard liquor, so she only took one. Then, she hopped over to the dance floor with her friends. Victoria's dancing was more of jumping around rather than actual dancing, but she had fun nonetheless. A guy danced over to her. Victoria didn't mind him dancing around her. As long as he didn't try to do anything else, he was cool. After a few songs, Victoria made her way to the bar. The guy followed her.

"Do you know how much a polar bear weighs?" he asked.

Victoria frowned. "I don't know. A lot?"

"Enough to break the ice. I'm Ryan." said the man, extending a hand to Victoria.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Smooth, Ryan," she allowed, shaking his hand. "I'm Victoria."

"Beautiful name." said Ryan. He ordered a round of shots for them.

"Thanks." Victoria said.

"So," said Ryan, handing Victoria a shot glass, "What's it like being the most beautiful girl in this bar?"

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "What's it like being the biggest liar in the world?"

Ryan choked on his tequila. He coughed some, but smiled as Victoria took her shot. "Well, on a scale of one to ten, you're a nine. But it's okay, because I'm the one you need."

Victoria laughed. "Did you just Google these pickup lines?"

Ryan smiled. "Maybe a couple of them."

Victoria giggled and shook her head. "At least you admitted it."

"So, do you mind if I sit here?" asked Ryan. Victoria hesitated.

Fuck it. "Be my guest." Victoria allowed. Ryan sat down, grinning.

Ryan ordered them drinks. Victoria nursed hers for a bit, listening to Ryan talk about his job as some IT guy. She gazed into her vodka and cranberry, missing Spencer's dorkiness. She missed lying on the couch, watching TV documentaries or movies. She missed getting coffee before work. She missed scary movie night. She missed stealing his cardigans. "That drink isn't doing its job." said Ryan.

Victoria looked up. "What's its job?"

"Well, it's supposed to be a spirits, right? I thought alcohol was supposed to make people forget? It only seems to be lowering your spirits, not lifting them." said Ryan.

Victoria pursed her lips. "I'm sorry. I just got out of a relationship." Her chest ached with the usual hollowness.

"Damn, that always sucks. Wanna dance?" said Ryan. Victoria's eyes flitted toward the dance floor. She had lost sight of her friends a long time ago. Well, at least she had her phone. She drained the remnants of her drink.

"Fuck yeah, I wanna dance." she said, leading the way to the dance floor.

…

"Parker looked good tonight." said Morgan.

"I'm not blind." Spencer muttered, opening his menu and ignoring the stares from Rossi, Morgan and Hotch.

"I'm just sayin'." said Morgan.

Spencer closed his menu. "I didn't break up with her because I think she's ugly. She's far from that, actually. You know why I did. You should respect my decision."

"Reid, I would respect your decision if it made sense. But we've already established that there's hope. You're both suffering and you don't need to be." said Rossi.

Spencer looked at his hands. "It's for the best."

"Why? Because you're scared love won't be enough?" Morgan demanded.

"Kiddo, I've had too many marriages fail to know that's true. Sometimes, it just ain't enough. But that's where real love comes in. That's where love fights. You've gotta keep working to stay together. You can't get lazy. This job takes enough away from us. You don't need to lose Parker, too." said Rossi.

Spencer pursed his lips. "I just can't ask her to go through this with me."

"That's not your decision to make for her." said Morgan.

"Reid, she's requested a transfer." said Hotch.

Spencer's head snapped up. His heart felt as if someone were dragging a knife down it. "What?"

Rossi and Morgan stared at Hotch, equally as shocked as Spencer. "I told her to work this last case with you, to see if she could handle it. She told me it was too painful to be around you and wants to transfer. She's going to fill out the paperwork on Monday. She'll be gone by the end of the week." Hotch explained.

Spencer's heart twisted. His mouth went dry and his throat swelled. Morgan faced Spencer. "You love the girl, right?" he asked.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yes." he croaked.

"Then don't let her get away." said Morgan.

"We all love Parker, too. If she leaves because of you, I'm burning your whole book collection!" Rossi threatened.

Spencer's eyes burned with tears. "How am I supposed to fix things with her if I've fucked it up so royally?" he snapped. He widened his eyes when he realized what he had just said. "I'm sorry, I… I don't know where that came from…"

"Reid, Parker loves you. You know that, right?" Morgan said.

"Yes." Spencer murmured.

"Reid, as your friend, I'm telling you to do whatever it takes to get Parker back. She wants you back just as much as you do." said Hotch.

Spencer opened his mouth to retort, but he stopped himself. "Okay."

…

"I wouldn't say your dance moves are classically good, but you're a blast to dance with." said Ryan, chuckling.

Victoria giggled. She swayed slightly and fell into Ryan. "Sorry! I've had a bit too much to drink…"

"I'm not complaining," said Ryan, "I've got a beautiful girl in my arms."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Right…"

"C'mon, let's get outta here." said Ryan.

"Go where?" Victoria slurred.

"My place or yours?" said Ryan.

"Both," said Victoria, "I'll go to mine and you can go to yours."

"C'mon, baby. I want you." Ryan purred. He grabbed Victoria's hands. "See?" he said, trying to make Victoria feel him up. She jerked away.

"Hey!" she protested.

"I can make you forget that ex of yours." said Ryan.

"I don't want to forget him, thanks." Victoria frowned.

Ryan's lips brushed Victoria's cheek. His unshaven face scratched her skin. "All I want is to worship your body, babe."

…

Spencer frowned. "Where's Victoria?"

"We haven't seen her." giggled Penelope.

"You left her on her own?" Spencer demanded.

"Reid, calm down. I'm sure she's fine. I'll get them in the car. You go find Parker." said Morgan.

Spencer was already pushing his way into the club, his eyes scanning the crowd for Victoria. He was beginning to grow worried when he caught sight of her. She was entangled in the grasp of another man, his lips against hers. It felt as if he had just taken a sledgehammer to the chest. Spencer's intake of breath was ragged and strangled. Victoria pushed away from the guy.

"Stop… I can't…" she mumbled.

"You've been teasing me all night, you little slut." said the guy.

"Excuse me?" Victoria slurred.

"What's the matter? You don't like dirty talk?" The man attempted to nibble at her ear.

"I'm not your fucking slut." Victoria snapped.

"You wanna be?" asked the man.

"No," said Victoria, "let go." She caught sight of Spencer and jerked away from the man, who protested and called her several names. Victoria strode up to Spencer, eyes never wavering from his. He parted his lips to tell her that it was time to go. Victoria grabbed him by the tie and yanked him toward her. She crashed her lips against his in an open-mouth kiss. Spencer's eyes widened, taken aback. Then, he closed his eyes. His mouth moved in tandem with hers, sliding and sucking with a desperate hunger. He relaxed and pulled Victoria closer to his body.

"What the fuck?" said the man. Spencer broke off the kiss and watched the man walk away. He glanced down at Victoria.

"Shit. Sorry. I… I just couldn't get rid of him." said Victoria.

"It's okay," Spencer assured her. He led her out of the club. She got into the car, keeping her head down as she climbed in the backseat. Spencer slid into the front, his mind racing. Morgan drove to his house, where he dropped off his wife. Will picked up JJ and Penelope. Spencer walked Victoria to his car. He assured Morgan that he wasn't too tired to drive and got into his car. Victoria stared out the window without talking. Spencer watched the road, but his mind was lost in a thicket of thorns and trees. She hadn't really kissed that other guy. It was obvious she hadn't wanted it. It had still hurt.

But seeing her with that man had also made Spencer realize that he couldn't watch Victoria be with another man. He didn't want her to move on with another man. He couldn't watch her be happy with some other man. He wasn't strong enough to witness that. Yes, he wanted her to be happy, but… Some part of him was selfish –was human –and wanted her to be happy with him. He remembered that night when Korey had shown up at the bar and tried to take Victoria away by force. The only reason Korey had left was because Spencer, Morgan and Hotch had stepped in. Victoria had not even lifted a finger to defend herself. But at the bar, she had. She had pushed away, despite her drunken state. She was a stronger woman now. Spencer felt a smile threaten to grace his lips. It faltered when he remembered staring at the computer screen, watching Victoria wake up to find herself strapped to a chair. He remembered the feeling of seeing her like that. The hot waves washing over his body, the sharpness in his chest, the feeling that the floor had given way beneath his feet. He remembered watching Korey torture her on camera, her screams and cries that she desperately tried to bite back, and how they sent chills down Spencer's spine.

Spencer pulled up to Victoria's house. He looked at the barn in the distance, his chest aching.

 _Spencer opened his eyes, his head throbbing. He was tied to a chair, but his attention was drawn to her. Victoria sat across from him, tied to a chair like he was, tears sliding down her cheeks._

 _"_ _I'm so sorry."_

Spencer blinked, forcing himself to push the memory from his mind. He would never forget the look in Victoria's eyes. He would never forget the racing in his chest when he saw Korey shoot Victoria. She had nearly died because she had loved him, and Korey had known it. Spencer sighed. "I'm an idiot." He gently shook Victoria, who had fallen asleep. "We're at your house."

"'Mkay…" Victoria mumbled. Spencer got out of his car. He helped Victoria out. She wobbled as she walked to her house. She stumbled inside. Spencer caught her. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom, where he laid her on the bed. "Thank you…" Victoria sighed. She closed her eyes and rolled over. Spencer gazed at her for a few seconds. He listened to her breathing deepen as she fell deeper into her slumber. Then, he leaned over and kissed her hairline. Then he left her house.

 **...**

 **Thank you guys so much for the reviews! They really keep me going! Next chapter will probably be shorter, so it'll probably be up sooner. I may not go into as much detail with the case as I have been (usually I watch the episode, pausing it after every few lines to write down what was said and it takes about two hours to get through one episode and that's doing only about ¾ of the episode). So, if the case part of the chapter is slightly confusing because I skip so much, I'm sorry. But I don't wanna just rewrite episodes for chapters. That's no fun, haha. Anyway, please review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	37. Chapter 37

**_Pieces_**

Spencer thrummed his fingers on his steering wheel for a few seconds before getting out of his car. _Stop being a coward._ He pushed open his car door and strode to Victoria's front door. He rang the doorbell and waited for her to answer. After several seconds of bouncing on the balls of his feet, the door opened. Victoria's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Hey." she said stiffly.

Spencer tried to smile, but his lips wouldn't budge. "Hey."

Victoria rubbed her face with her hand. "Look, about last night…"

"That's actually what I'm here to talk to you about." Spencer replied.

Victoria studied him for a few seconds. "Come in." she allowed, opening the door a little wider. Spencer stepped across the threshold. "Can I get you coffee or tea or anything?" Victoria asked.

"Uh, no, I'm... I'm good." Spencer replied.

Victoria pursed her lips and offered him an awkward nod. She sat down in an armchair. She had a cup of green tea resting on the side table beside her. She brought it to her lips and took tentative sip. She set down the mug and pulled her knees up to her chest. Spencer tried to ignore how cute she looked in her paint-splattered jeans, pink fuzzy slippers and oversized sweatshirt. He sat across from her on the couch. Victoria inhaled. "Look, I know what I did last night… Unfortunately I wasn't drunk enough to forget everything. That was tactless of me and rude and I am really embarrassed. It won't happen again." she said.

Spencer looked at his hands, which were resting on his knees. "You don't need to be embarrassed." It should be him. He should be the one who was embarrassed. He had broken both of their hearts, just to come crawling back to say he was a coward for running away.

"Look, I… It's just hard to be around you still. And as long as I am around you all the time, I won't move on. Which is why I'm transferring on Monday." Victoria said.

Spencer's head snapped up. "Victoria…"

"Don't try to convince me not to," Victoria interrupted, "I can't handle being near you anymore. It obviously upset you enough last night to make you come here and lecture me today, so I think it's best if I go. One of us needs to. You've been with the team longer than I have, so it should be me."

"I didn't come here to lecture you." Spencer muttered.

Victoria frowned. "Then why are you here, Spencer?"

Spencer blinked back the tears pooling in his eyes and wrinkled his nose a few times before answering. He met Victoria's eyes. "To beg for your forgiveness." he croaked.

"What?" Victoria's brow knitted.

"You were right about everything, and I'm sorry." Spencer croaked. Victoria said nothing. Spencer took a deep breath. "Victoria, I… I don't know where to begin to tell you how sorry I am. I… I'm miserable. I know that I've hurt you. I know I caused all of this. B-but I want to fix it. I would do anything to make this better, to pick up the pieces of us. I-I never wanted to hurt you…"

"But you did," Victoria snapped. Spencer gazed at her, his lips parting. Victoria crossed her arms. "You… You didn't just hurt me, Spencer. You _broke my heart_. I understand why you broke up with me. I really do. But it still… It still didn't make sense to me. I-I gave you everything, Spencer. Korey tore me down. But you… You tore my heart to shreds." Victoria broke off, tears sparkling in her eyes. She pursed her lips into a thin line. It seemed she was finally releasing the anger that had been collecting for three weeks now, like dust in an abandoned house. Spencer didn't blame her.

He blinked back tears of his own, feeling as if he had taken a sledgehammer to the chest. "I know. And I wish… I would do anything to take it back. I hurt myself in doing this. Victoria, you're in my veins. You're a part of me. You were never just my girlfriend. God, you were –are –so much more than that. Even after I ended us, it didn't really feel like it was truly over. At least for me. I laid up at night, missing you so much it felt like you were there. I-I couldn't let go of you because… I didn't want to. I was still holding onto us because I love you. I broke up with you to protect you from what might happen, and I know that was stupid and selfish of me. I can't make that decision for you and I can't protect you from everything. I wish I could keep you from ever feeling any pain in your life, but I can't. Victoria, I am so, so sorry." Spencer's voice cracked at the end as tears spilled down his cheeks.

Victoria looked away from him. "You're right. It was stupid. Everyone knew it was stupid. Even you knew. So why? Why did you do it? Why did you drag it out?" Victoria looked directly at him. Spencer tried to formulate a response, but Victoria wasn't done. "Do you know what's in the back of my mind a lot? That I'm your second choice. Y-you couldn't have Maeve, so I was the next best thing. That I will never be good enough for you because I'm not her. And then you broke up with me, and I couldn't help but think I was right because your reasoning was so twisted!" Victoria's shout seemed to echo throughout the house, reverberating against Spencer's hollow chest as he gaped at her.

"Victoria," he breathed, trembling slightly, "you are good enough. I loved you while I loved Maeve. Honestly, I don't know if Maeve and I would've worked out because I loved you, too. I was just too blind to see it. T-that's the thing about love. It can blind you. I wanted to protect you from myself, Victoria. B-because I can't help but think that I'm not good enough for you. Our children would be at risk of inheriting the schizophrenia gene and now dementia. I'm weird. I-I've seen the guys who talk to you at bars…"

"Those guys are idiot," Victoria interrupted sharply. "They're picking up women in bars because they're assholes who just want sex and when they don't get it, they get pissed off and try to take it by other means. They're less severe versions of Korey. Spencer, you are good enough. I don't care how fucked up your genes are. I love you. I always will."

"I love you too," Spencer murmured. "I want you back in my life. I can't stand this anymore. The distance between us. I want you back. I can't face this alone. I-I understand if you… If I've hurt you too much. Just know that I am so incredibly sorry, and that I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"You really want that?" Victoria demanded.

"Yes." Spencer insisted.

Tears filled Victoria's eyes. "Because I-I'm transferring, I'll be leaving soon. With me gone, you can forget me."

Spencer's heart seized. "I don't want you to leave. I don't want to forget you."

"I just… I just can't help but think that you don't really want me back, you just miss me. If I'm gone, it'll be easier for us to move on." Victoria muttered.

Spencer dropped to his knee before her and took her face in his hands. "Victoria, I meant everything I said. I wanted you back the moment I broke up with you. I have wanted you every day since then. I don't want you to leave. You're my family. I miss you. I miss my best friend. I don't want to move on. I want you. I love you so much, and I'm so sorry for everything. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll have me."

Victoria scowled, tears splashing down her cheeks. "If I'll have you?" Spencer knitted his brow. "Spencer, everything I've done these past few weeks… I've been trying to get you back, idiot!"

Spencer blinked, his hands dropping from her face. "What do you mean?"

Victoria rolled her eyes and avoided his gaze. "I told the girls that you wouldn't notice, but they insisted. I was dressing sexier and wearing more makeup than usual because Penelope and JJ said I should. It was stupid, but it helped me feel better."

Spencer frowned, his mind racing. He remembered the lower cut shirts, the fitted trousers, the skirts and heels… The sultry eye makeup, the high ponytails… "And Zack?"

"I told him what was going on and he agreed to help me make you jealous." Victoria admitted.

Spencer's lips twitched. "You did that to get me back?"

Victoria averted his eyes. "It was stupid, but I wanted to make you miss me."

Spencer's small smirk faded. "Victoria, you didn't need to do that."

"I know, it was petty of me." Victoria mumbled.

"No, I meant you didn't need to make me miss you. I already did." Spencer said.

Victoria met his gaze at last. "I missed you, too." She bit her lip. "So… Does this mean that we're back together?"

Spencer smiled softly. "I hope so."

Victoria frowned. "Do we have to start all over?"

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked.

"We've talked about having a future together and typically couples should be together three to four years before they get married because that gives them enough time truly know one another, and we've only been together a year and half but now that we took that break, does that mean we have to start over at square one?" Victoria huffed.

Spencer stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar. "I thought I was the one who rambled," he teased. Victoria scowled and punched his arm. He smirked. "Victoria, I don't think it counts. And we've known each other for nearly five years. I want you to ignore any statistics about relationships that you may have read. I know that's easier said than done. Trust me, I have to work on that myself. You and I get to decide when we're ready for marriage, not some statistic. We will be a statistical anomaly, the variable that throws the rest of the research off. It doesn't matter how long we've been together, what matters is how hard we're willing to keep us together. Okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Okay," she breathed. Her lips quirked upward. "Only you could make math and science sound romantic."

Spencer chuckled. "May I kiss you?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "You don't need to ask." Spencer pressed his lips to hers in chaste kiss that quickly turned desperate. Spencer broke it off before it could escalate to more.

"Can I take you out tonight?" he asked.

Victoria nodded. "Of course."

…

Victoria, Spencer and JJ jumped out of the SUV, Garcia's warning for them to be careful still ringing in her ears. She ducked low and crouched beside the squad car. "Did he make any demands?" Spencer asked.

"No." replied the cop.

"Shut up!" snarled the unsub, holding his hostage tighter.

"Lock down the perimeter. He's not getting out of here." said JJ.

"Got it," said the cop. He radioed in, warning the other law enforcement officers to lock it down.

"You ready?" JJ asked. Spencer nodded and moved to a different vantage point. The cop moved to the other end of the car, crouched behind the trunk while Victoria and JJ knelt behind the hood. "Andrew Meeks, FBI!" JJ yelled.

"Drop the weapon, Andrew!" Spencer shouted from his standpoint.

"You drop your weapon!" snarled Andrew.

"The only way you're getting out of this is if you let her go and put the gun down!" JJ yelled.

"No! No way!" Andrew bellowed.

"You wanted revenge but this ends right here, right now." Spencer called.

"She's terrified, Andrew. Listen to her breathing!" JJ cried.

"Do you remember being scared like that when you were being smothered in that gym mat?" Victoria called to Andrew.

Andrew didn't reply. Then, he shoved his hostage away and pointed his gun straight at Victoria and JJ. He fired, the bullet bouncing off the hood of the car between JJ and Victoria, who both ducked. Spencer's gun fired two shots. Victoria and JJ got up and hurried over to Andrew's body. Spencer was already there, checking the body for a pulse. He pulled away, his lips pursed in a grim line. He showed Victoria and JJ the stolen FBI credentials. JJ squeezed Spencer's arm. He patted her shoulder and hugged Victoria. They withdrew quickly, so as not to raise suspicion. Victoria and the rest of the team packed their things and got on the jet. Spencer sprawled out on the couch. Victoria sat across from him. She put on headphones and listened to music. She leaned her head back, her eyes closed.

Spencer shook her awake when they landed. "Anyone up for dinner?" asked JJ.

"Yeah. I could eat." Victoria said. Spencer nodded in agreement. Penelope rushed out to meet them.

"I'm gonna have to pass, but I'll see you guys later." said Morgan.

"Wait, wait!" said Penelope. Everyone froze, staring at Penelope with anticipation. "You guys aren't avoiding each other… You're standing next to each other… Are you guys back together?"

Victoria glanced at Spencer. He grinned. Victoria turned back to Penelope, a smiling smugly. "Yep." she said.

Penelope screamed. "My OTP!" she cried, pulling Spencer and Victoria into a group hug.

"Finally!" Morgan cawed.

"It's about damn time." said JJ, grinning.

"Let's celebrate!" Penelope exclaimed.

"Drinks are on me next time!" Morgan promised, jogging to his car. "I'm late for dinner!"

Victoria grinned. Hotch gave her a hug. "I'm glad you're not transferring." he said.

Penelope froze. "You were going to transfer?"

"Yes," said Victoria in a small voice, "but I'm not, so it's all okay!"

"Oh, you are not getting off that easy!" said Penelope.

Spencer slipped his hand into Victoria's. "To be fair, it's mostly my fault."

"Damn right it is!" said Penelope. "But I still love you both with all my heart! Oh, I'm so happy you're back together!"

Victoria glanced up at Spencer, beaming. "We are, too." she said.

 **…**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**_Derek_**

Spencer squeezed Victoria's hand underneath the table. She glanced at him, still smiling from Garcia's last joke. Spencer wondered if they could resume where they had left off. He had told her they would, but would she be okay with his proposing to her? Could they get married so soon after repairing their relationship?

"Guys," said Hotch quietly. Everyone sobered upon hearing Hotch's grave tone.

"Oh, not another case?" groaned JJ.

"I don't know yet," said Hotch. "Savannah Hayes just called me. Morgan's in trouble."

Spencer felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. "What do we do?" he asked.

"I'll get the bill." said Rossi.

"Reid, you and Parker go to the grocery store where Morgan was last seen. JJ, Garcia and Dave, with me. I'll send Reid the address of the store." said Hotch.

Without hesitating, the team jumped to work. Victoria and Spencer rushed out of the IHOP and hurried to his car. He drove to the address Hotch had sent him. They asked a few questions and checked the mostly empty parking lot. "Spence." Victoria said, pointing. Spencer looked to see Morgan's truck. They hurried over to it. They found the crushed bits of Morgan's phone and a bag of groceries containing a box of strawberry ice cream and a sympathy card. They bagged the evidence and headed for the BAU in silence.

"Did you find anything?" Hotch called as Spencer and Victoria burst into the bullpen.

"No sign of him. But he left this and his car in the parking lot. Did Savannah tell you anything?" Spencer replied, handing over their findings.

"She said that she thought she heard three attackers and that Morgan sounded drugged before they cut off the call." said Hotch.

"Then it's a coordinated and planned attack, most likely professional." said JJ, joining them.

"We did just take down a network of online hitmen but if this is blowback, why Morgan?" Spencer reasoned.

"We have to assume we're all targeted. I've put protective details on all of our families but I want Savannah to stay here." said Hotch.

"How is she?" asked Victoria.

"She's being brave. Parker, I want you to stay with her as much as possible. She'll need your emotional support." said Hotch.

"Got it." Victoria replied. She left the group to check on Savannah. Spencer watched her go for a few seconds. What if it had been her? He shuddered to think about it. He knew what Savannah was going through. He had felt that way when Victoria had been taken by Korey. He prayed they found Morgan.

…

Victoria, JJ and Garcia entered the house before Savannah. They checked to make sure it was safe before letting her enter. Garcia set up her equipment to check if Derek and Savannah had been watched. JJ went to ask the neighbors a few questions while Victoria went into Savannah and Derek's room to accompany Savannah while she packed. Savannah paused in her packing to put her face in her hands. She shuddered with a sob. Victoria crossed over to her and put a hand on Savannah's shoulder.

"Listen to me," she muttered, "I have seen this team do remarkable things, especially when one of our own is on the line. We are going to find Morgan, and then you're going to tell him you're pregnant. Got it?"

Savannah nodded and wiped away her tears. "He's not supposed to be the victim, you know? He's supposed to catch guys like these. God, what are they doing to him? If he's not dead yet, it means they're doing awful things to him!"

"Maybe," Victoria allowed, "but he's alive. Focus on that. He's alive, and he's going to stay that way. He is probably fighting just as hard to get to you."

They headed into the foyer with Savannah's bag packed and ready. JJ was waiting for them. "Hey," she said, stepping forward, "so I talked to the neighbors. They didn't notice anything strange and I didn't find any bugs or anything like that outside."

"So they weren't peeping at us through our windows?" Savannah demanded. There was slight strain to her voice. JJ could only offer a grimace and small shake of her head in reply. "Thank God for that, I guess." Savannah ran a hand over her face.

"That leaves you, Penelope." said JJ, crossing to the dining room where Garcia was set up, typing away at her computer. Victoria and Savannah followed.

"Finishing my diagnostic now… Do you have a wireless router on your DVR?" Garcia looked at Savannah, whose brow furrowed.

"Uh, I think so?" she said.

"They used that as a back door. You know encrypted phone calls? That's the hacking version of this. Oh, man, they were all up in your business." Penelope said.

"Is it the same unsubs?" JJ asked.

"My money says yes but what's weird is that they used an intranet." said Garcia.

"What's that?" asked Savannah, her nose stuffy.

"An intranet is a private, closed system. But here's a portal to a public page…" Garcia clicked on the web address and was routed to a website. Victoria frowned at the CIA's homepage.

"Will someone explain why the CIA would abduct Derek?" Savannah said. JJ stepped out, her lips pulled downward thoughtfully. She dialed a number and began talking to her contact in a low voice.

Victoria put a hand on Savannah's shoulder. "That's what we're going to find out."

…

"My contact at the agency tells me that the guys who took Derek are freelance contractors and not on our side." said JJ, striding into the conference room.

"So ex books?" Rossi guessed.

"Mostly foreign, but some are domestic. These guys figured out how to piggy back on existing infrastructures to hide their tracks. My contact thinks it might be this group." JJ gestured to the screen on the wall, where a picture of a group of men pulled up.

"It's hard to find out who they might be by sniffing through their computer traffic. Fortunately the CIA version of me is trying to hack their encryption signatures." said Garcia.

"What do we know about them so far?" Spencer asked, his eyes roving over the picture, locking every face, every tattoo, every skin color, height and approximate weight into his memory.

"They're a trained team. They do the dirty work for the highest bidder." said JJ.

"What kind of dirty work?" asked Rossi.

"As far as we can tell, disappearances. If you need someone politically inconvenient to vanish, these guys make it happen." said JJ. Spencer pursed his lips. But how was Morgan politically inconvenient?

…

"I may have a line on him! That encrypted satellite phone? It became active again. We managed to pin one side down here. It's a twenty mile radius of woods. The other side was to a contractor who didn't bother to not use his own cell phone." said Garcia.

"Arrogant. Thinks we can't find him." said Rossi.

"And he would be wrong. He being John Bradley. Not SAS as we suspected. He tried to become SAS but couldn't cut it. You don't get tattoos with SAS on it because the point is that it's covert but those who are dishonorably charged from the British Royal Marines do get that tattoo." said Garcia.

"Your last ping on him has him in Derek's direction. He's probably on his way to him now." said Spencer.

"We've got helicopters waiting on the roof prepared for immediate transport." said Hotch.

"Any way we can narrow down the search?" JJ asked.

"Yes. Their encryption algorithms are dust. If and when that sat phones connects, I got him." said Penelope. A few minutes later, her face paled. "Sir… It just went live."

"JJ, Reid, Rossi, we're going to the site. Parker, stay with Savannah and Garcia." said Hotch.

Victoria and Garcia stopped outside the elevator as the rest of the team got on. Victoria met Spencer's gaze. He gave her a small nod, his brow furrowed. Victoria bit her lip as the elevator doors slid shut. _God, please, keep them safe. Let Derek be okay._ She looked at Garcia, who had tears running down her cheeks. "Pen, it's gonna be okay. You know our team. They're relentless." Victoria said.

Garcia looked at Victoria. "I know," she said. "I'm glad you're with me, though. It's easier to let them go out in the field when I'm not here alone worrying about them."

Victoria smiled. It faded. "Savannah," she breathed.

"Oh, she doesn't know we found him!" Garcia gasped. Victoria and Penelope took off for Derek's office, where Savannah was sitting on the couch, hunched over and her face in her hands.

"We found him!" Victoria announced, bursting into the room. Savannah jumped nearly six inches off the couch with a yelp. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No, no! This… You found him?" Savannah breathed, placing a hand over her heart.

"Yes! The team's going to the location now!" said Penelope. Savannah stood.

"W-we should go, shouldn't we? Is he alive?" she said.

"The team will give us any new information," said Victoria gently. "The point is, we found him."

Savannah's eyes brimmed with tears. She pulled Victoria into a hug. "Thank you."

Victoria embraced her friend. "Of course." Penelope pulled Savannah in for a hug. The three of them sat on the couch, holding hands and waiting for news. At last, Victoria's phone rang.

"Hello?" she barked.

"We got him. He's on his way to the hospital now." said Spencer.

Victoria breathed a sigh, her lips twitching with a small smile. "He's okay?"

"He should be." said Spencer.

"We'll take Savannah to the hospital now." said Victoria, standing.

"I'll meet you there." Spencer replied. Victoria hung up.

"He's okay." Victoria assured Savannah. Penelope and Savannah hugged before following Victoria out of the building. They all climbed into Victoria's car, who sped to the hospital, running a few red lights in the process. She parked quickly and scurried into the hospital. After asking around, she finally figured out where Derek's room was. They took the elevator up a few floors. She flashed her badge at the reception desk. "We're here for Derek Morgan." she said.

"No one can see him right now. Wait over there." said the nurse, pointing.

Savannah, Penelope and Victoria took seats in the waiting area. Eventually, the rest of the team showed up. Rossi frowned. "How the hell did you guys beat us here? We were in helicopters." he said.

Garcia snorted. "Victoria may or may not have broken several laws getting us here."

"Garcia," Victoria hissed. She eyed Hotch. "I would never…" She grinned sheepishly.

Hotch smirked and shook his head. "I didn't see it happen, and we all would've done the same."

Spencer frowned at her. He took a seat next to her. "You should drive safer next time. I don't want you to get into an accident."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "As if you wouldn't have sped here if it were me."

Spencer's face darkened. "That's not a fair card to play."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Yeah, well, I don't always play fair honey," she teased in her best Jersey accent. "Besides, it's three in the morning. No one's out driving right now."

Spencer's lips twitched. He looped his fingers with hers. After sitting there for three hours, with the occasional coffee run, the doctor came to talk to them at last.

"Are you all here for Derek Morgan?" he asked.

"Yes," said Hotch.

The doctor shrugged. "He's unconscious at the moment. Based on the amount of stress his body sustained and the injuries he suffered, I'm guessing he will be for a while. He has a lot of rest to catch up on. But he'll make a full recovery."

Everyone visibly relaxed. "Thank God." Victoria breathed.

"Can we see him?" Savannah asked.

"Yes, but like I said, he's not awake. Though I'm sure he will appreciate someone being there when he does." said the doctor.

"I'm going to sit and wait for him. Thank you guys, for everything." said Savannah, getting up from her seat.

"I'll keep you company." offered Garcia.

"I'm going to catch up on some sleep." said Rossi.

"Yeah, I've got boys to see." said JJ.

"Everyone get some rest this weekend. Garcia, let us know when he wakes up." said Hotch.

"Will do." said Garcia. Victoria gave Savannah one last hug and headed out with Spencer.

They headed to Spencer's apartment in silence, where they collapsed on the bed and fell asleep without even taking off their shoes.

…

Three days. Three agonizing days passed before Derek finally woke up. Spencer got the text from Garcia early in the morning. He got up and got dressed. Victoria had slept over the whole weekend. After putting on some appropriate clothes, she hopped in the car with Spencer. They ran through McDonald's for Derek, Savannah and Penelope. Spencer had complained, saying he would have been fine with the Jell-O if he were Derek. Victoria had argued that Derek would want something more than just Jell-O. They rushed to the hospital and burst into Derek's room, holding up the McDonald's bags up.

Garcia got on her knees and bowed. "You guys are gifts from heaven!"

Spencer smiled as he passed around sausage biscuits. He crossed to Derek's bedside. Derek smiled. "Hey, man." Derek croaked.

"Hey." Spencer replied.

"Guess what?" Derek said.

"What?" Spencer frowned.

"I asked Savannah to marry me." said Derek.

Spencer felt his mouth fall open. "No way! Congratulations, man!" He gave Derek an awkward hug.

"I'd like you to be best man." said Derek.

Spencer gaped at his friend. "I, uh, I don't know what to say."

"Yes would be nice." Derek teased.

"I-uh, yeah, of course!" Spencer replied. Derek smiled. Spencer glanced over at Victoria, who beamed at him. He smiled back. Finally, he was happy.

 **…**

 **School started this week, so updates are gonna be much slower. I'm thinking every two or three weeks. I have other fanfictions I want to update, and I'm writing an actual book and need to work on that, too. Plus, Season 12 starts soon and I wanna let that get ahead before I catch up to it. In Season 11, Derek takes a six-month leave and it just kinda gets mentioned in the episode after "Derek." So, I'm gonna do my take on what happened in those six months. I might write my own case that the team solves, I might just stick with character interaction and whatnot. I'll kind of map it out before I start writing. Anyway, you guys don't need to hear all of that, but whatever. I told ya anyway. Please review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**_Lost in Each Other_**

"Bachelorette party, bitches!" cried Penelope. Savannah placed a hand over her stomach.

"No partying for me, bitches." she laughed.

"Oh, no partying! We're all going to dinner and a movie. Come on! Your night's on _moi_!" said Penelope.

Savannah looked up at the ceiling, a smile fanning across her face. "Okay, okay!"

Victoria grinned and got up from her seat. "Come on, we can talk about what movie we want to see when we get to the restaurant."

Victoria, Penelope, JJ and Tara waited for Savannah to freshen up before leaving. When she was ready, the girls climbed into JJ's SUV and headed for the restaurant. Victoria's phone vibrated with an incoming text. She pulled out her phone to check. It was from Spencer.

 _At The Stage. Have I ever told you I really don't like clubs?_

Victoria smiled to herself and typed back a reply. _You've mentioned it once or twice. Just try to have fun for Derek's sake, okay?_

 _Okay… Did I tell you I love you today?_

 _You did._

 _Well, I do love you._

 _I love you too, Spence._

 _How would you feel about us getting dinner tomorrow night?_

 _I'd love it. I gotta go, babe. We're at the restaurant._

 _Okay. I love you._

 _I love you too. Text me if you need me to pick you up! I don't want you driving drunk._

 _Would I do that?_

 _I dunno, you're a party animal…_

 _Yeah, right…_

Victoria sent the nerd emoji to which Spencer responded with an ellipses. He still didn't quite understand the emojis. Victoria smiled and hopped out of the car. The girls entered the restaurant and Penelope gave asked for their reserved table. They were led to it immediately. Victoria sat beside JJ and Tara. The waiter came around for their drink orders. After Victoria ordered a Dr. Pepper, Penelope jumped into a conversation. She pelted Savannah with questions about honeymoon destinations and baby names.

"We were thinking Hawaii for our honeymoon. I don't want to do anything too active or it'll be stressful for the baby." said Savannah.

"Smart," said JJ.

"As for baby names… I honestly have no idea. I have several for a girl, but Derek is so sure it's going to be a boy." said Savannah.

"Men always are." said JJ, smirking.

"Says the woman with two boys," said Victoria, shooting JJ a smug grin.

JJ stuck her tongue out at Victoria, who chuckled. Penelope widened her eyes. "Oh, speaking of men," she said, "Tara said she's talking to someone."

"Talking, not marrying," said Tara, rolling her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal."

"We wanna hear about it!" said Savannah.

"Ah, well, his name is Tom, he's Italian, super tall and… He wants to take me to dinner next weekend, if we don't have a case." said Tara.

"Ooooh, you'll have to tell us how it goes!" said Penelope.

"So, Victoria," said Savannah, taking a sip of her water, "how are things with you and Spencer?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "We really wanna talk about that now?"

"Yes! One minute you guys are all like 'I can't even look at them without my heart breaking, this sucks, I'm moving to California' and the next you guys are all 'We're back together.' You didn't explain anything!" said Penelope.

Victoria sighed. "Okay, okay. That night we all went out, there was this guy and… Oh God, we made out and Spence saw. I tried to stop it but the guy was really drunk and I was really drunk. But then I did stop it and the guy got all confused so I had the bright idea in my intoxicated state to waltz up to Spencer, grab him by the tie and make out with him."

"Holy shit!" gasped Penelope.

"Yeah, it was completely stupid." said Victoria.

"No, that was genius! Obviously Reid still loved you. You should have kissed him sooner!" said Penelope.

Victoria shook her head. "Anyway, he took me home and in the morning I remembered what had happened. I was super embarrassed about it and Spence shows up at my house early in the morning wanting to talk. I thought it was because he was pissed that I kissed him, but he said he wanted to beg for my forgiveness and wanted to get back together."

"And you agreed!" Penelope sang.

"Not right away," said Victoria, cringing. "I kind of made him know that he hurt me a lot…"

"Good for you," said JJ.

"Yes, drag him!" Savannah praised. "Don't get me wrong, I love Spencer. But what he did was plain dumb."

"I know," said Victoria, "and he knows. I think after what happened to Maeve, he's terrified he will lose me, and he will try everything he can to protect me."

"Which is admirable," said JJ, "but impossible."

"Yeah." said Victoria. "But things are good. It was a little awkward at first, falling back into things, but… Also pretty natural."

"Ugh, you guys! I'm so happy right now. Savannah's preggers, Derek's getting married, Reid and V are back together and I am at dinner with my favorite people!" said Penelope, placing a hand over her heart.

"Aw, we love you too." said JJ, smiling.

"So, what movie are we going to see?" Tara asked. Victoria chuckled to herself.

…

Spencer downed the last of his second beer, cringing slightly at the taste. He grinned as he watched Rossi and Morgan dance like idiots on the floor. Hotch had left a few minutes ago, since he had told his babysitter he would be home at midnight. Spencer checked his phone every so often to see if Victoria had texted him. Still nothing. He sighed. Someone sat down next to him.

"Long day?" asked the dark haired woman.

Spencer lifted his eyebrows. "More like a long night."

The woman smiled. "I'm guessing you don't go out very often, then."

"Yeah, this is not a usual thing for me." said Spencer.

"I'm Elaine, by the way." said the woman.

"I'm Spencer." said Spencer, his gaze flickering toward Morgan to make sure the groom was still in sight.

"So what's brought you out tonight?" asked Elaine.

Spencer gestured toward Morgan. "His bachelor party."

"Oh," said Elaine, smirking. She swiveled in her seat to look back at Spencer. "Are you a groomsman?"

"I'm the best man." said Spencer.

"You guys don't seem like you would be friends." said Elaine.

Spencer shrugged. "We've been friends for over ten years now. He's like my brother."

"That's sweet," said Elaine. She bit her lip and eyed him up and down. "Well, at least you're not the groom."

Spencer widened his eyes. "I'm sorry?"

Elaine leaned her head to one side. "You're not taken."

Spencer felt a blush creep into his cheeks. "Oh, um… A-actually, I am taken. I have a girlfriend."

Elaine sighed. "Ah."

Spencer's phone vibrated. He pulled out his phone to check the text from Victoria.

 _On our way to The Stage!_

"Is that her?" Elaine asked. Spencer looked up before he could type back.

"Oh, uh, yeah." said Spencer. His phone faded from the text screen to his lock screen, portraying a picture of Victoria and him together at a coffee shop. Spencer could feel Elaine eyeing the picture, so he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"She doesn't have to know," said Elaine.

Spencer furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?"

"Your girlfriend doesn't have to know about what I'm gonna do to you tonight." Elaine leaned forward. Her obsidian eyes glittered. Spencer tried to look away but found himself looking at her breasts instead. He quickly looked away from those, too.

"I-I'm sorry, but I just want to stay faithful to her." said Spencer.

"Oh come on. Monogamy isn't natural. Besides, I'm hotter than her." said Elaine.

Spencer frowned. "I don't think attractiveness is something that can really be compared or gauged."

"I'm taller, thinner and prettier than her. Come on, she's a dork. I bet she can't please you like I can." said Elaine.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "I-I bet she could."

Elaine laughed. "You mean she hasn't yet? Geez, you need to get laid. Come with me and I'll show you how good of a fuck I am."

Spencer gaped at her. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. What did he do? How did he get rid of this woman? Elaine ran her hand along his chest. He jumped back. "Please, go find someone else." he said.

"There is no one else in this bar that I want." said Elaine, her voice husky.

Spencer's mouth went dry. "Hey!" he yelped when Elaine tried to grab him.

"Spence," said a voice he recognized. He looked up, wide-eyed. Victoria stood there, frowning.

"Help me," he whispered as Elaine leaned back.

Victoria narrowed her eyes and turned to Elaine. "Back off."

Elaine smirked. "Jealous, sweetie?"

Victoria's jaw popped. Spencer stared at her, praying that she didn't think he had been cheating. "Not at all." Victoria said. Spencer could hear the lie in her tone.

"Well, you should be. Because I was about to show Spencer here what real fucking is." said Elaine.

"I'm sure it's fantastic," said Victoria dryly, "but he's not interested."

"That's not what he said." said Elaine.

Spencer scowled. "That is what I said, actually."

"Ma'am, get the fuck out of here before punch you in your teeth." said Victoria.

Elaine frowned. "Word of advice, sweetheart? You better fuck his brains out every night or someone's gonna steal him away." She got up and swept away, her hips sashaying as she went.

Victoria watched her go and then turned to Spencer, working her jaw. "Well, that…"

"Was not what it looked like," said Spencer. "I swear, I tried to get her to go away, but she wouldn't."

"I'm sure," said Victoria. "It looked pretty shady, though."

"I know," Spencer mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad at you. That's happened to me before a couple of times. I'm sure it didn't feel awesome for you to see." said Victoria, taking Elaine's empty seat.

Spencer offered her a small smile. "It didn't," he said. "It's not a great esteem boost."

"It's not." agreed Victoria.

Spencer leaned forward. "Hey," he said. Victoria looked at him. "I think you're gorgeous."

Victoria smiled softly. "And I think you're handsome. Can we go home?"

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready to go."

"I'm driving," said Victoria, fishing Spencer's keys out of his pocket. He jerked away from her when he felt her hand slide into his pocket. He hadn't expected her to do that, and he hadn't expected it to feel good. Victoria looked up at him, a smirk toying at her lips. Spencer groaned and shoved her playfully. They walked outside and found Spencer's car.

"So… You were jealous?" Spencer teased as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Yeah," Victoria admitted. "I'm a territorial bitch."

Spencer laughed. "You're kind of cute when you're jealous."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I won't be so cute when I'm ripping some bitch's hair out."

"I honestly can't even imagine you doing something like that. It's still weird seeing you in the field with a gun." said Spencer.

Victoria scoffed. "Gee, thanks!"

"I'm not saying you can't handle yourself," said Spencer, "but you're just… You've always been this caring and supportive presence on the team. So when you're out there, doing things that are dangerous and aggressive… It's strange. It kind of scares me whenever you go out in the field."

"And I get scared when you do it," said Victoria. "You're not exactly Macho Man out there."

Spencer chuckled. "I know. I've just been doing it a lot longer."

"I've had some training now. I can hold my own." Victoria assured him.

A sigh whistled between Spencer's lips. "I just would never forgive myself if you got hurt."

Victoria parked Spencer's car in the parking lot outside his apartment. She unbuckled her seatbelt before looking at him. "Spence, it wouldn't be your fault. You can't protect me from everything. I don't want to be protected from everything."

Spencer nodded. Tears prickled his eyes. "I just… I never want to lose you."

"It's not in your control," Victoria murmured quietly. "I never want to lose you, either. But I almost did recently. And every time you go out in the field, there's a possibility I could lose you. We just have to make the most of whatever time we have together."

Spencer looked at her. "I know."

Victoria smirked. "Are you a sad drunk?"

Spencer scowled. "I'm not drunk!"

"Yeah, but you've had a few drinks." said Victoria.

"Just two beers." Spencer grouched.

Victoria giggled and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. He smiled at the feel of her lips on his skin. They headed up to his apartment. Victoria paused outside his door. "Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I don't have my car here and I don't feel like going home."

Spencer's brow furrowed. "I thought it was obvious you were staying here." He unlocked the door and stepped inside. Victoria followed, mumbling something about his genius under her breath. Spencer rolled his eyes at her. "Do you want to watch a movie or –?!" Victoria cut him off by pressing her lips to his. She withdrew almost as quickly as she had pounced.

"Sorry, just watching that bitch hit on you and harass you kind of put me on edge and…" She trailed off.

The corner of Spencer's mouth quirked upward. "You don't have to apologize for kissing me."

Victoria looked away. "I want to do more than just kiss you." she mumbled.

It took Spencer a moment to realize what Victoria was saying. He raised his eyebrows. "Oh."

Victoria put her face in her hands. "I'd never want to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to, and I'm not ready to go all the way, but I kind of want to do more than just kiss and I'm sounding like an idiot so I'm going to shut up." She moved to walk away, but Spencer grabbed her gently. He cupped her face in his hands and slammed his lips against hers. He parted his lips to slip his tongue into her mouth, sliding his mouth against hers. She sucked on his bottom lip and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pushed her against the wall and rubbed his hands along her sides, feeling her body beneath her thin shirt. He lifted the hem of her shirt to feel her skin. He had never touched her before. He had wanted to, especially whenever she teased him with her outfits. But he was also hesitant. Would crossing this line change their relationship?

Spencer's thoughts quieted when he felt Victoria untuck his shirt. Accumulating nearly three years of sexual tension between them put their bodies into a frenzy, leaving little to no concern of consequences. He heard his belt buckle clink as Victoria unfastened it. When her hands touched him, he broke off the kiss to gasp.

He had never been touched before. The feeling of her hand caressing and rubbing weakened his knees. His left hand jerked away from her waist to rest against the wall to keep himself from falling on top of her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and whimpered, relishing the sensation of her running her hand along his length. "Are you okay?" she whispered in his ear. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when her breath cascaded across his skin. He nodded, unable to speak. It took a while for him to climax, though he enjoyed every second of the process it took to get him there. When he did, he bit his lip and moaned into her neck. He waited few seconds, sagging against her, still using the wall for support, before his hand moved to return the favor. When he touched her, she gasped. She hiked one leg around his hip, giving him better access. They were awkward and unbalanced, but they refused to move. Spencer kissed along Victoria's jaw and throat as he rubbed her, fascinated by the sounds she made. She trembled beneath him, and he snaked his free arm around her waist to support her. She nearly collapsed when she reached her zenith, had Spencer not caught her.

They stood, leaning against the wall and disheveled, panting for several seconds. A sinking feeling settled in Spencer's stomach. Had they gone too far? Had he satisfied her? Was she disgusted by his climax? He kept his face buried in her neck. "Are you okay?" he murmured.

"Yeah." Victoria breathed.

Spencer pulled back to look at her, his eyes searching hers. "Did that bother you?"

Victoria shook her head. "No."

Spencer's shoulders relaxed. "Good."

"Did it bother you?" Victoria asked.

"I was completely fine with it." Spencer assured her, smiling slightly.

Victoria's lips twitched. Her smile faltered. "I-I'm not ready to go further than that."

Spencer nodded. "Me neither," he confessed. He felt her relax. "Do you want to take a shower?"

"You can go first," she said. "You're… uh, messier than I am."

Spencer chuckled slightly. It didn't feel like things had changed between them. She was still his best friend. "Yeah… I'll be quick." he promised. He kissed her cheek and scurried off for the bathroom.

Later that night, when they had both cleaned up and were lying in bed, Spencer pulled Victoria close to him. They were quiet for a long time. "Things haven't changed between us, have they?" Victoria murmured.

Spencer nestled his face in the crook of her neck, her hair tickling his nose. "I don't think they have in a bad way."

"I'm sorry, I've just… I've never done anything like that before." Victoria muttered.

"Me neither." Spencer replied, his eyelids growing heavy. "We're just intimate in a way that we've never been before, I guess. It'll take some getting used to, just like it did when we were first became friends and again when we started dating."

"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Spencer murmured back.

…

Victoria laughed as she and Spencer danced like absolute dorks (with moves like the disco and the sprinkler) at Derek and Savannah's wedding reception. They jumped around and sang along to the music. Spencer shook his hips like a goofball. He laughed in chorus with her, planting a kiss on her cheek every so often. They ate cake and drank wine and danced some more. When they weren't dancing or eating, Spencer kept a hand on Victoria's waist. Ever since they had taken a step further into their relationship, he had been more confident in the affection he displayed. They didn't make out or anything in public, as PDA was still something they weren't too fond of, but Spencer made sure to keep Victoria close. She had never felt closer to anyone in her life after sharing some physical intimacy with him. She had never been that way with anyone. It had felt so natural. It had been weird, too. She wasn't used to hearing those sounds come out of Spencer's mouth… She shivered. She usually blushed whenever she thought about it. But it was like what Spencer had said; it was an intimacy they would grow accustomed to, just like when they first became friends and then started dating.

When Savannah tossed the bouquet, Penelope caught it. Victoria laughed at her friend's dismayed face. After the wedding, Spencer and Victoria headed home. They were both too exhausted to do anything other than curl up on the couch, put in a movie and fall asleep with each other's' feet in their faces.

Victoria awoke to the smell of coffee. She pushed herself into a sitting position, her spine popping as she did so. She groaned, remembering why she preferred not to sleep on couches. She shuffled into the kitchen, where Spencer sat, reading a book and sipping from a mug. He glanced up when Victoria entered and chuckled. "Your hair looks like a lion's mane." he said.

"Rawr," Victoria grumbled, rubbing her eyes. She sat across from him and rested her head in her arms.

"What do you want to do today?" Spencer asked, closing his book.

Victoria lifted her eyes to meet his, an idea sparking in her mind's eye. "Have you ever been to Leesylvania State Park?"

Spencer opened his mouth to reply, but the ringing of Victoria's phone cut him off. Victoria groaned and got up. She frowned when she recognized her mom's contact on the screen. She swiped along the screen to answer the call. "Hello?" she croaked.

"Victoria?" Gemma replied.

"Yeah." Victoria said.

"Hey, baby. Just checking to see how you're doing." said Gemma.

"I'm okay. Is everything okay with you?" Victoria replied, frowning.

Gemma took a deep breath. "It's Nana," she admitted. Victoria's heart stopped. "She's getting worse."

Victoria relaxed a bit, though not enough to drop her shoulders. "Sh-should I come down?"

"I don't know," sighed Gemma. "I'll keep you updated, but just be prepared."

Victoria rubbed her face with her free hand. "Okay," she croaked. "Thanks for telling me."

"Of course." said Gemma.

"Can I talk to her?" Victoria asked.

"She's asleep right now. I'll call you when she wakes up." said Gemma.

Victoria's eyes stung and her throat swelled. "Okay. Thank you."

"Mhm. I love you, sweetheart." said Gemma.

"I love you too." Victoria mumbled. Gemma hung up. Victoria placed her phone on the counter, staring ahead.

"Everything okay?" Spencer called after several seconds.

Victoria looked at him. "Nana's not doing so well."

Spencer jumped up from his seat and crossed over to her. He pulled her toward him, rubbing her back. "It'll be okay, baby."

Victoria blinked back tears. "I'm not ready to say goodbye, Spencer."

"I know," Spencer murmured, pressing his lips to her hair.

"Sorry," Victoria said, pulling away. "I-I'm being selfish."

Spencer scowled. "You're not being selfish at all. Why don't we stay here today? We still haven't watched the new Star Wars movie."

Victoria's lips twitched. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Spencer kissed her cheek. "You didn't have to do anything."

 **…**

 **Okay… So I'm not great at, nor am I super comfortable with, writing smut. This is about as far as I will go, and even this was pushing the envelope. Anyway, it's not realistic to keep Spencer and Victoria so chaste, because… It's just a natural thing and you don't even realize it sometimes, in my experience. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please review!**


	40. Chapter 40

**_Research_**

"Reid, Parker, I need to see you both in the briefing room." said Hotch.

Victoria glanced at Spencer, who reflected her grimace with one of his own. They headed into the briefing room, where Hotch stood with two case files. "What's up?" Victoria asked, taking a seat.

"A convict on death row in the Colorado State Penitentiary just wrote this letter," said Hotch. He clicked a button on the remote, and the screen flashed with an image of a crumbled piece of paper littered with scribbling.

" _Seven sacred ones entombed side by side, the unworthy ones scattered far and wide. One for you is the score, the other team has forty-four._ " Spencer read, frowning.

"The police found four bodies, none of which were entombed side by side." said Hotch.

"So there are possibly forty others that haven't been found?" Victoria queried.

"Yes," said Hotch. "The two of you are going to Colorado to interrogate Rory Benton. The police didn't have a profile when they arrested Benton. The two of you must construct a behavioral profile of Benton and see if this note is valid or not."

Victoria's lips downturned. "What about the rest of the team?"

"They're taking care of a stalker case in Washington. I need the two of you on this. The whole team isn't needed for this research assignment, but I need to know that the two of you can handle working together in a professional environment." said Hotch.

Victoria met Spencer's gaze before looking at Hotch. "Are you going to babysit us?"

Hotch shook his head. "No. I'm going with the rest of the team to Washington. It'll just be you and Reid working on this. I'm counting on you both. You leave in thirty."

Victoria watched Hotch sweep out of the room before looking at Spencer. He flashed her his usual frog-face. Victoria sighed and opened the case file, her eyes meeting the photographed ones of Rory Benton.

…

"Victimology is highly disorganized," Spencer said, eyeing the pictures of the victims. "When asked why he did it, Benton stated that 'Women are scum. They lie, cheat and destroy. It's only fair I destroy them.' It's obvious he has a lot of rage directed toward women, but he never said why."

"He crossed state lines as a forensic measure, too. So he's not an idiot," Victoria muttered. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "His M.O. is all over the place, too. Stabbing with an ice pick and a knife. He also strangled one of his victims, Hannah Slade. He shot his first victim, Caroline Greene. He distanced himself from her. But once he started stabbing, he found his preferred method."

Spencer narrowed his eyes. "It didn't seem to matter what he used to stab them with, just as long as he did… We both know what stabbing is a substitute for."

Victoria nodded. "So, he feels deprived of sex, coupled with his rage against women, and we've got a sadist on our hands. Possibly sexual, but he didn't rape his victims."

"That could stem from feelings of low self-worth and incompetence to perform." Spencer suggested.

"Yeah," agreed Victoria, "or he is so disgusted by women that he feels they're not worthy of receiving his, er, seed."

Spencer shifted uncomfortably. "He won't like talking to you."

"He probably won't talk to me." said Victoria.

"Your presence could throw him off," said Spencer. "We should wait to bring you into the room. I'll talk to him first and if I don't get anywhere, I'll get you in there."

"Okay," said Victoria, "I'm going to talk to his ex-wife to see if she can tell me anything about places he liked to retreat to."

"Good idea." Spencer replied. His eyes flickered to the case file, rolling over interrogation techniques in his mind.

…

"Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Norton." said Victoria, extending a hand to shake the older woman's across from her.

"Well aren't you just the cutest thing I ever laid eyes on? I love your glasses," said Mrs. Norton, shaking Victoria's hand. Victoria blushed.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"You don't look like an FBI agent." said Mrs. Norton.

"Er, thanks?" Victoria said, taking a seat across from Mrs. Norton.

"How can I help you?" Mrs. Norton asked.

"Well, I wanted to know what you can tell me about your ex-husband, Rory Benton?" Victoria asked.

Mrs. Norton's face darkened. "Rory was an odd man. He started out sweet enough. He was a real quiet type, ya know? Hard worker, though. Our families worked together in the farming business a lot. He showed pigs and I showed cattle. That's how we met, actually."

"Was he ever abusive toward you?" Victoria asked.

Mrs. Norton cringed. "Not in the way you'd imagine," she muttered. "And not at first. But he started… He grew distant. He didn't have a job and we were poor, you see. He wanted to just get government support, but I wasn't raised that way, no ma'am. I knew we would be fine if he would just work. I, uh, I pressured him to find work, and that put a strain on our marriage. I never wanted to be a nagging wife, but that's what I became."

"You can't blame yourself," said Victoria gently. "What did he do to you?"

"Well, we fought a lot. Screamin' and hollerin'. Nothing too drastic. But then it stopped. He said he found work that required travel… And he would come back with money. Not a whole lot, but enough. He'd be so happy when he go back that I didn't question what he was doing. If he was away from work too long, he'd get antsy. That's when he'd h-hit me. I didn't ask questions. I just wanted him gone." said Mrs. Norton.

"When did he get this job?" Victoria asked, frowning.

"Uh, right around the time his parents got divorced. His momma was cheatin' on his daddy. Shook him up real bad." said Mrs. Norton.

Victoria frowned. "No kidding," she muttered, wracking her brain. "So, you and Rory divorced at some point?"

Mrs. Norton shifted uncomfortably. "I… I was so scared of him. I-I thought he was on drugs. I figured that's what his job was, why he was so secretive all the time. I didn't want no part in that. But I was scared to leave, too."

Victoria nodded. "Abusive partners often become more violent when they hear its over."

Mrs. Norton widened her eyes. "Yes," she agreed. "But… I had a friend… And we started… Well, we had an affair."

Victoria furrowed her brow. "Did Rory know?"

"Not at first," Mrs. Norton admitted. "But he caught me and Horace one day."

"How did he react?" Victoria asked.

"Angry," Mrs. Norton whispered. "But… He didn't explode. But he was still the angriest I'd ever seen him. He pointed at me and said, 'I knew it! I was right!' And stormed out. The divorce wasn't official till after he was behind bars."

Victoria scrunched her lips to one side. "Did Rory have any friends?"

"Kept to himself, mostly. But he did help Hannah Slade with her fixer-upper. Her house was fallin' apart and he would always fix it." said Mrs. Norton.

"Was she your neighbor?" Victoria asked.

"Still is. Lives five miles down the road." said Mrs. Norton.

Victoria stood. "Thank you, Mrs. Norton. That'll be all." She left the house and dialed Spencer's number.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Victoria replied. "Have you got anything?"

"Not yet," Spencer said. "He doesn't have a problem admitting that he killed these women, but he won't say anything about the note or why he did it. What did you find?"

"Well, I think I know the trigger. His parents got divorced right around when the killings started. His mother was unfaithful." said Victoria.

"And the stressor?" Spencer prompted.

"Low income, wife wanted him to work. I think he wasn't working because he was busy spying on women." said Victoria.

"You think he watched them before he killed them?" Spencer asked.

"His wife cheated on him, too. She said he announced that he was right and knew it. I'm willing to bet that the victims were unfaithful in their relationships, or at least he thought they were." said Victoria.

"Well that changes things… I think if you were here, it might shake him up. He definitely seems to hate women, and being ordered around by one would crack his resolve." said Spencer.

"I'll head over right away." Victoria said. She hung up, glanced down the road. She would interview Hannah Slade later.

…

"I think we should talk to friends and families of the victims. We need to see if you're right before we talk to Rory." Spencer said. Victoria nodded, her ponytail swaying slightly.

"Have you called them?" she asked.

"Yeah, they're here." said Spencer. He leaned in closer. "The police didn't ask the victims' families about their personal lives in their initial investigation. The main thing that got Rory behind bars was that he left so much evidence behind."

"But if he really did kill forty-four women, he's smarter than that." Victoria muttered back.

Spencer nodded. "That's what I'm afraid of."

They strode into an extra room. A man looked up. "What's this about?" he demanded.

"Mr. Hawthorne, I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, we, uh, we spoke on the phone." Spencer said.

"What do you need to know about June?" Mr. Hawthorne asked. "I thought that man was behind bars."

"He is," said Victoria. "But… We have some personal questions to ask, if that's all right with you."

Mr. Hawthorne nodded. "O-okay."

Spencer and Victoria exchanged a glance. Victoria cleared her throat. "Was June ever unfaithful in her marriage?" she asked.

Mr. Hawthorne closed his eyes and jutted out his jaw. "I don't see how this is relevant."

"We wouldn't be asking if it weren't." said Victoria.

"We're not judging June. We're just trying to understand why this happened to her." Spencer muttered.

Mr. Hawthorne's eyes flashed open. "You think she deserved this?"

"Of course not," Victoria said. "We think Benton was targeting specific women, those he thought were unfaithful. Could June have given him reason to think that?"

Mr. Hawthorne sighed and hung his head. "Look, her marriage was in a bad place. Husband was always gone for work. She was lonely and… I told her it was a bad idea, but she didn't listen to me. I-I just never thought Rory would do that to her…"

"She knew Rory?" Spencer queried.

"Well, yeah. He was the one she was having an affair with." said Mr. Hawthorne. Spencer glanced at Victoria, the corners of his mouth sinking.

…

Victoria looked at Rory through the glass before looking at Spencer. "Well, we know that all of his victims so far were unfaithful women." she said. "So it's not just women in general."

Spencer crossed his arms. "He still won't like your presence in there."

"But I have to make him think I'm unfaithful." Victoria replied.

Spencer met her gaze and frowned. "How are you going to do that?"

Victoria sighed and took off her glasses. She held them out to Spencer, who took them, his brow knitting. "Just come in about five minutes." She entered the interrogation room before Spencer could reply. "Mr. Benton? Hi. How are you?" she asked, crossing over to Rory.

He examined her with dark eyes. He shrugged. "Been better."

Victoria bit her lip. "Can I get you anything?"

"No." said Rory.

Victoria nodded and opened her case file. "I have some questions for you, if you don't mind."

"You never told me your name." said Rory gruffly.

"Oh, I'm Agent Parker. You can call me Victoria, though." said Victoria, flashing Rory a smile.

Rory's lips twitched. Victoria sat across from him. "You have pretty eyes," he said.

Victoria looked up and feigned shyness. "Oh, um… Thank you. No one's told me that before," she lied. She pulled out a picture. "Mr. Benton, I'd like to ask you about these women." Victoria spread out the photos of the four known victims.

"What do you wanna know?" Rory asked. "Cops already caught me, didn't they?"

"Well, I'm here on a research assignment. You see, you're just such a fascinating case. I mean, I've never dealt with a killer like you before." Victoria gazed up at Rory, giving him her best doe eyes.

Rory smirked. "I see," he said, leaning forward. "You're curious."

"Oh, definitely. I mean, this is impressive work. I've never seen a kill like this." said Victoria, indicating to the bloody crime scene of June Hawthorne.

"She deserved it." said Rory.

Victoria dragged her teeth across her lip. "Oh, come on. You've gotta give me more than that… I mean, I wanna know what you were thinking, how it felt to kill her… How did you decide to kill her…" Victoria tilted her head, gazing at Rory suggestively.

He grinned. "I'd rather tell you what I want to do to you," he muttered. Victoria's heart stuttered.

"You want to do this to me?" Victoria asked, pointing to June Hawthorne's crime scene photo.

"How does _that_ make you feel?" Rory whispered.

Victoria inhaled deeply. "Exhilarated."

Rory lifted his eyebrows. "Interesting," he muttered. "Nah, I just wanna rip off that cute little blouse of yours until the buttons pop off… Then I wanna slide my hand up your skirt and slip your panties off… I wanna shove my cock into you dry, and pound you till you're weak in the knees. I wanna grab your hair and force your mouth onto me…"

"Back off," said Spencer, entering the room. Victoria leaned away from Rory and looked at Spencer, who sat beside her. She placed a hand on his wrist.

"Hey, honey." she said, kissing his cheek.

Rory jumped to his feet. "You fickle whore! You're just like the rest of them, opening your legs for whatever man you want! Disgusting cum-slut!"

Victoria turned to Rory, wiping her face clean of any sultry look. "Is that what you thought of these women?"

Rory blinked. Then he sneered. "All of them were bad, bad women. Cheating cunts. Some cheated with me, some on me… Chivalry is dead on both sides, you dirty fucking cunt." Then he spat at Victoria.

Spencer jumped up. "Show some respect!"

"Oh, you don't like hearing the truth about her? Don't wanna think about my cock sliding in and out of her? Don't wanna think that maybe she's enjoying getting fucked by some other guy? Because I guarantee she is… She and every one of those women are just cock teases. She'll suck you dry and fuck you silly, but she won't stick around." said Rory.

"Your wife said you liked Hannah Slade." said Victoria.

Rory's demeanor shifted. His sneer vanished and he gaped at Victoria. "H-Hannah was nice…. lonely… But never broke up my marriage like fucking Candace!" He kicked his chair. He screamed something about evil women and Candace. Spencer gripped Victoria's elbow and led her out of the interrogation room.

"We need to talk to Hannah." said Victoria.

"Tomorrow. It's late." Spencer replied.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. I've had enough for one night."

…

Spencer loosened his tie and unfastened the top buttons of his shirt, grinding his teeth together as his fingers worked. Watching and listening to Rory speak to Victoria in such a way… Spencer swallowed the fire rising in his throat. He ignored the writhing in his stomach and glanced up. Victoria was watching him, an eyebrow raised.

"You okay?" she asked.

Spencer clenched his jaw. "No."

Victoria frowned. "What's wrong?"

Spencer stopped fumbling with his tie, unable to undo the knot. He was only making it worse by yanking on it. "The things Rory said to you were absolutely disgusting."

Victoria's lips downturned. "I'm okay, Spence."

"I'm not," Spencer snapped. "I-It was like Korey all over again. Treating you like some sexual object…"

Victoria softened. "Neither of them can hurt me."

"I know that," Spencer sighed. "I just… I felt so helpless, sitting there and doing nothing."

"He was attacking your manhood. That's exactly what Rory wanted you to feel like." said Victoria.

"He succeeded." Spencer muttered.

"Spencer," said Victoria sharply. "It was my idea. If you had interfered, you would've messed things up. I don't think any less of you for doing nothing. You did what you were supposed to do."

"But when guys have hit on you at bars, I haven't done much…" Spencer protested.

"Yes, you have. Spencer, you literally let me live with you for a few months while Korey was hunting me down. And when he grabbed me, you came and searched for me on your own. You nearly died protecting me." said Victoria.

"But…" Spencer muttered.

"But nothing," snapped Victoria. "I don't expect you to beat anyone up when some guy says something rude. Sometimes guys who drink get rowdy and say stupid shit that they won't remember in the morning. They think they're being funny or smooth, but they're just idiots. And some are just assholes. You're neither of those things. So I don't expect you to take them all seriously when they say dirty things to me, and I don't expect you to tackle every man who makes an inappropriate comment towards me. But you have defended me by telling them to back off, even if you do it in a gentlemanly way."

Spencer closed his eyes, his heart clenching. "Victoria, it was more than just that."

"Then what was it?" Victoria demanded. "Rory Benton is a man who hates women who cheat. He thought I was just another fickle woman… Do you think that I'm like that?"

Spencer's eyes flashed open. "Of course not," he said. "The thing he called you… A… A cum-slut… I-I… I've seen men get angry when you turn them down. But to call you something so degrading…"

Victoria lowered her eyes. "I don't like that, either. But it came from a man I don't care about."

Spencer stepped toward her and tilted her chin upward to force her to look at him. "Victoria, I want you to know that I would never call you something like that. I-I've heard about dirty talk, and I just… I don't understand it. When you and I are sexual together, it's not because…" He inhaled deeply. "It's not because I need release, or because I just want a good fuck. It's because I love you, and I want to be with you in every way possible."

Victoria's smile was soft. She reached up and untied the knot in Spencer's tie. "I love you, too." she whispered. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss Spencer's cheek. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her shoulder.

…

"Miss Slade, do you mind if we ask you some questions?" Victoria asked, flashing her credentials.

Hannah Slade frowned. "Oh, um… Sure…" She widened the gap in the door, allowing Victoria and Spencer. They entered the living room. Victoria looked around, noting that the place was in shambles. "What's this about?" Hannah asked. She rubbed her legs with her palms.

"We're here to ask about Rory Benton," said Victoria, "your handyman."

Hannah's brow furrowed. "He's my friend."

"He still is?" Spencer queried.

Hannah nodded. "It gets lonely at the prison."

"Do you keep in touch with Rory?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah," said Hannah, her lips twitching.

"Hannah, what do you do?" Victoria asked.

"I'm a maid," said Hannah. "I clean other peoples' houses."

"I imagine you hear a lot of things as a maid." Victoria prompted.

Hannah shrugged. "I guess."

"Hannah, did you ever work for June Hawthorne?" Spencer asked, frowning.

Hannah's face darkened. "That bitch had it coming," she growled. "I saw her on her knees for Floyd."

"Floyd Barrow, her ex-husband?" Victoria guessed.

"Yeah," seethed Hannah. "She told Rory she loved him, but I saw. I saw her with Floyd."

Victoria glanced at Spencer, her heart clenching. "Did… Did you tell Rory about any other women?"

"Yeah," said Hannah. "I hear lots in the houses."

Victoria pursed her lips. "Hannah, do you know what Rory did to those women?"

Hannah looked up. "Of course," she said. "They had it coming. I would never do that, not to Rory. I love Rory. Rory wants to marry me."

"You're not scared that Rory would want to hurt you?" Spencer asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, no… Rory loves me. I love Rory." said Hannah.

Victoria pressed her lips together. "Miss Slade, do you know what this means?" She handed over a copy of Rory's letter. Hannah stiffened as she read it. She looked up, her eyes wide.

"He told me this would happen," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Oh no, no, no, no, no… I did a bad thing…"

"What bad thing?" Victoria prompted gently. Hannah narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not telling! I would never betray Rory!" she shouted.

Victoria looked at Spencer, taken aback. "Hannah, do you know where the bodies are?" Spencer asked.

"No!" Hannah screamed. "I ain't sayin' nothin'!" she shrieked.

"Hannah, we're trying to help…" Victoria tried.

"No, you're trying to keep Rory away from me forever!" Hannah screamed and launched herself at Victoria. Hannah was ripped away from Victoria at once by Spencer, who quickly cuffed her. Victoria called for back-up and a search party.

"The bodies are probably on the property." Victoria muttered. Spencer nodded, holding Hannah still. Eventually, the police arrived with back-up. They sent out dogs to sniff out graves. Victoria watched as Hannah was forced into the back of a squad car and whisked away. An officer approached Victoria and Spencer.

"We found some bodies," said the officer. "I… I hope it's not all forty of the missing ones, but… looks like the note was true. Why wait all this time to speak up? He could've had less time in prison. Now he might get the death penalty."

Victoria watched the squad car carrying Hannah Slade disappear around the corner. "He wanted to take down the only woman he wouldn't kill. But he couldn't let her live without punishment, either."

The officer shook his head. "Some people are real sickos." he muttered.

"No kidding." Victoria replied. She and Spencer headed to the bed and breakfast where they had stayed the past few days. They packed their things and then headed for the jet. Spencer fell asleep on the jet shortly after take-off, but Victoria couldn't sleep. She didn't want to go home. Her house had too many haunting memories. Without Seth and Jason there to fill those empty spaces, Victoria's voice echoed in the dark halls. She shook Spencer awake.

"Are we landing?" he mumbled, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"Not yet," Victoria muttered. "I was just wondering if I could stay with you tonight. I don't want to go home."

Spencer frowned. "You've been staying with me a lot."

Victoria's heart sank. "I-I don't have to, if you don't want me to."

Spencer shook his head and pushed himself upright. "That's not what I meant. Is everything okay? You're not staying at your house very much."

Victoria's eyes pricked. "I… I, um, don't like it there."

Spencer's brow furrowed in concern. "Why not?"

"When Jason and Seth were there, it… It was homier. I could live with the fact that I nearly died in that barn. I could ignore Korey's ghost. B-but with them gone… It's lonely. A-and I thought I had moved on, but I'm too scared to go into my kitchen when it's dark because I'm afraid Korey will be there, and seeing that barn makes me so angry and I keep trying to ignore it, but I can't anymore." Victoria felt tears roll down her cheeks. Spencer's lips parted.

"Victoria… Why didn't you tell me this?" he whimpered.

"I don't know… Shame, I guess. I should be over this by now, but I still have panic attacks when I'm alone for too long. Living there makes it hard to move on." said Victoria.

Spencer pulled her close to him. Victoria buried her face in his chest and coughed out a sob. "Of course you can stay with me. You don't have to ask." Spencer murmured into her hair.

"I want to sell it." Victoria whispered.

"Okay," Spencer breathed. "I'll start researching realtors first thing tomorrow."

"Thank you." Victoria sighed, letting her eyelids flutter shut. She relaxed, the weight of having to go to her house lifted off her shoulders.

 **…**

 **Sorry if this was a lame chapter… I tried my hand at working a case. I have another one in mind, one I like better, but I won't be super detailed about it because again, I want to focus more on the relationships of the characters. Also, Rory Benton was based off a real serial killer, Robert Charles Browne. Please review!**


	41. Chapter 41

**_When It Rains, It Pours_**

"Your honeymoon pictures make me wanna vacation more than ever!" Garcia cooed over the tropical photos on Derek's phone. Spencer smiled at the picture of Derek and Savannah on some beach, looking sandy but happy. Spencer checked his phone. Still no word from Victoria. Perhaps she was driving.

"Anyone need refills?" asked Rossi, lifting a bottle of Pinot Noir.

"Oh, oh!" said Garcia, raising her glass. Rossi filled it generously, chuckling. Spencer held out his glass right as it thundered outside. He glanced toward the window and bit his lip. He hoped Victoria got there soon…

"I hope the babysitter isn't having too much trouble with the boys." said JJ, glancing at the window as lightning flashed outside.

"Sleepover at Rossi's!" cried Garcia, her cheeks pink. Spencer laughed and shook his head.

"I share too much with you people," said Rossi. "I don't need to share my house."

"That's what family does." said Tara, grinning.

Rossi rolled his eyes but smiled. "If it gets too stormy, I have some extra rooms for those of you who live farther away."

"Speaking of people who live far away," said Garcia, looking around. "Where's Victoria? She's late."

Spencer frowned. He checked his phone. Victoria still had not texted him that she was on her way. "She told me she was coming, but she's never said she's on her way or anything." he said.

"Parker better show up," said Derek, wrapping his arms around Savannah. "I haven't seen that dork in too long."

"Let's call her!" sang Garcia.

Spencer exchanged a glance with JJ, who mouthed, "too much wine." Spencer grinned and nodded. They gathered around Garcia as she FaceTimed Victoria. After several rings, Victoria finally picked up.

"Hello?" she said, her face flashing into view on the screen.

"V! Are you coming?" Garcia cried.

Victoria frowned. "I thought I texted you guys," she muttered. The FaceTime screen paused as Victoria closed the app. "Oh, the text never sent. I didn't even notice." The FaceTime screen resumed. "I can't come."

"Why not?" Garcia pouted.

"Uh, there's a tornado warning out here. So… Not leaving my house." Victoria chuckled.

"Oh my gosh," said Garcia, perking up. "Are you safe? Do you have a shelter?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, I'm about to set up my laundry room. I just went around opening all the windows and doors to release pressure in my house. I'll be fine." Darkness shrouded the screen.

"What's that?" Garcia asked.

"My power just went out," said Victoria, her voice stuttering through the static. "I'm about to lose signal. I'll be okay."

"We love you!" said Garcia.

"Love you guys too!" Victoria replied. The FaceTime call ended. Spencer drew back, his stomach churning. Victoria would be fine.

…

Victoria grabbed several pillows and blankets. She laid them on the hardwood floor of her laundry room. "Lumos! Nox!" she called. The wind howled through her house, billowing the curtains. She could hear the trees creaking outside. The eerie quiet before the storm sent her hair standing on end. Her dogs came bounding around the corner, yapping and wagging their fluffy tails. They piled onto the pillows. Victoria hurried to her bedroom, grabbed her phone, her laptop and the comforter off her bed. She laid it over the pillows and grabbed the other blankets. She would snuggle in those. She crawled inside the laundry room and shut the door. She buried her laptop beneath the pillows by her feet and wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders. She sat in the dark, listening to the panting of her dogs and whistling of the wind outside. Her heart hammered in her chest as she waited. The wind outside loudened until it roared overhead. Victoria pulled her dogs closer and hugged her knees to her chest, listening. The wind grew so deafening, it sounded as if a train were charging toward her house. Victoria tucked her dogs under her body and placed her hands over the back of her neck, waiting for the tornado to pass. Her heart pounded in her ears as debris smacked against her house. She flinched every time something slammed her house. She heard a boom from outside and then an enormous crash from her house. She prayed the damage wasn't horrible. The tornado passed over her house, but the power remained out. Victoria set her alarm for the next morning and listened to the crashes of thunder outside until she fell asleep on her laundry room floor.

Victoria groaned when her alarm barked at her. She shut it off and blinked. Her power still had yet to come on. She stood, her joints popping and aching. She shoved her glasses onto her face and pushed open the laundry room door. She glanced around. All sorts of debris had flown into her house through the open windows and doors. Twigs, dirt, leaves and even a few branches littered her floor. A glass she had left out in the kitchen lay shattered on the floor. She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks, her heart stopping.

A tree had collapsed onto her house and crushed her bedroom. Glass, roof and pine needles were all that was left of her room. She gaped at the damage for a solid minute before she started to panic. She was trying to sell her house! She couldn't even put it on the market until this was fixed. She ran a hand through her tangled hair. Her eyes pricked and her throat swelled. She took several deep breaths to calm herself, but the more she tried to remain calm, the more she wanted to cry. She gave in, sinking to the floor and putting her face in her hands. She sobbed, hot tears pouring from her eyes, down her cheeks and into her palms. Her breathing shuddered several times as she inhaled. Lumos licked Victoria's hands until she stopped crying. She wiped her eyes and nose and pet the white Shorkie.

"Wanna go bye-bye?" she whispered. Lumos wagged her tail. Victoria stood. At least she had her go bag in the car with the essentials. She grabbed her phone and called Spencer.

"Hey, everything okay?" Spencer said, answering on the second ring.

"Um…" Victoria glanced at the tree lying inside her house. "No. I need to stay with you for a few days. And… I need to bring my dogs."

"Okay," said Spencer. "When are you coming?"

"Right now," said Victoria. "I'm probably going to be a little late for work. I'll call Hotch and let him know. I have a key to your place."

"Okay. What happened?" Spencer said.

Victoria let out a strained breath, eyeing the gaping hole in her roof. "Might be easier if I show you. I'll have to take pictures for insurance anyway."

"But you're okay?" Spencer persisted.

Victoria pursed her lips. "Physically, yeah. I had a mini breakdown just now, but I've pulled it together."

"Is it that bad?" Spencer asked.

"Oh yeah." Victoria replied.

Spencer sighed. "I'm sorry, Victoria. Is there anything I can do?"

"I just need to stay with you for a while." Victoria said.

"Of course. You don't even have to ask." Spencer said.

Victoria smiled. "Thanks, Spence. I'll see you at work."

"See you there. I love you." said Spencer.

"I love you, too." Victoria replied. She hung up. She took pictures of the damage with her phone, grabbed her dogs, laptop and phone, jumped in her car and headed for Spencer's apartment. She dropped off her dogs and got ready as quickly as possible before racing to work. She ran two red lights, but she didn't really care. She hurried up to the bullpen and burst into the briefing room, where the team had yet to get started on their case.

"Hey, you. How are you?" said Garcia.

Victoria pursed her lips in a bitter smile. "Well, I slept on my laundry room floor last night, so I'm a bit tired."

"Any damage to the house?" JJ asked.

Victoria nodded. "Oh, yeah. Pine tree fell right on my room." She passed around her phone, showing pictures.

"Damn." said JJ, shaking her head. Spencer offered Victoria a look of concern. She shrugged.

"It's my fault, really. I knew the tree was dead and only a matter of time, but I didn't feel like paying for it to be removed." said Victoria. She sighed. "I'm just frustrated because I'm trying to sell my house and now I've gotta pay for this tree to be removed and to fix my house…"

"When it rains, it pours." said JJ sympathetically.

"Exactly." said Victoria.

"Well, you're probably better off compared to these people," said Garcia. She clicked her remote and gory images flashed onto the screen. "Three bodies have been found in the past three weeks. John Hart, Jorge Hernandez and Greg Hart. Greg was John's son, and Jorge worked for John Hart. What was left of John was found on a hiking trail. At first people thought it was a bear, but… Most of John was still there. The rest… Well, you can see on your tablets," Garcia looked as if she were going to be sick. Victoria glanced at the remains of John, rent and torn apart by some beast. It didn't even look like a body, just a mess of organs and flesh. Victoria looked away, feeling queasy herself. "Greg was discovered in his bedroom by Jorge. Greg had been stoned to death. And Jorge was found in his own backyard. It looks as if he had been tossed from a very high height."

"Well, the victims all knew each other, maybe the unsub did, too." said JJ.

"His M.O. is all over the place, though. Are we sure it's the same guy?" said Rossi.

"Well, the victims were all in relation to one another, that can't be a coincidence." said Victoria.

"And Greg Hart and Jorge Hernandez were both placed in their own homes." said Spencer.

"Even John was moved from the original place he was killed." said Victoria.

"Since his M.O. is everywhere, do you think he could be inexperienced?" asked JJ.

"Like, a kid?" Garcia sounded horrified.

"That's what the M.O. suggests," said Victoria. "But this seems organized in a way."

"Regardless, we've got a serial killer on our hands. Wheels up in thirty." said Hotch. Victoria glanced at the picture of John Hart's gory crime scene before standing with the rest of the team.

 **…**

 **Short chapter, I know. I wanted to post something in celebration of Season 12 starting! Also, I won't be able to post for a while. Midterms are next week and I have a paper coming up. I will continue this case in the next chapter, but I'm having to do quite a bit of research on top of my schoolwork. Please be patient! And as always, please review!**


	42. Chapter 42

**_Medieval Slaughter_**

"Mrs. Hart, I know this must be very hard for you. Please, take all the time you need. I'm very sorry for your loss." said Victoria, sitting across from a very teary-eyed Mrs. Hart.

The woman sniffled. "I-I wanna do everything I can to help." she mumbled.

Victoria nodded. She folded her hands together. "Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt your husband and son?"

Mrs. Hart shrugged. "Not that I know of. John was very generous. And Greg was a sweetheart. He joined the army because he wanted to protect his country. A lot of people do it now just for the scholarships."

Victoria pressed her lips together. "Everything I ask is essential to our investigation, ma'am. It could help narrow down who did this to them. Was there anything you can think of that might have been controversial about your husband and son? Something others didn't like?"

Mrs. Hart frowned. "Well… John was an atheist. That didn't go over well with my family. And Greg… Greg was homosexual. He kept it secret because of the army, but there may have been some who knew and didn't like it."

"Thank you," said Victoria.

"Does that help?" Mrs. Hart asked.

"Yes," said Victoria. She let Mrs. Hart leave and gestured for Mrs. Hernandez to enter. She asked Mrs. Hernandez similar questions.

"No, everyone loved him." said Mrs. Hernandez in between sobs. "I don't understand why someone would do this."

"Did he and Mr. Hart get along?" Victoria asked.

"Well… Jorge had health problems. He was late to work a lot. B-but Mr. Hart never fired Jorge because he was good at his job. And he was loyal. But one day Jorge didn't show up at all and Mr. Hart was very angry. He threatened to fire Jorge. That… That was right before they went missing." said Mrs. Hernandez.

Victoria frowned. "Thank you, Mrs. Hernandez. I'll stay in touch in case I need anything else."

…

"The coroner thinks John Hart was eaten by dogs." said JJ, walking into the room with a grim press of her lips.

Spencer frowned. "Eaten by dogs? That has Biblical significance. The harlot Jezebel was thrown from a tower and eaten by dogs. _Damnatio ad bestias_ was a popular form of capital punishment in the second century BC. Many would gather in the amphitheater to watch the worst criminals, slaves and Christians be devoured. But typically the animals were wild, such as lions."

"John Hart was an atheist and his son was a homosexual soldier. Jorge was ill and failed to come to work on time on numerous occasions." said Victoria.

"Our unsub could be punishing his victims for their transgressions." suggested JJ.

"Possibly," said Spencer. "Stoning in the Bible was a form of execution that had numerous reasons behind it. Most notably adultery, witchcraft, rape and homosexuality were punishable by stoning."

"And thrown from a height?" asked Victoria.

Spencer frowned, his mind teeming. "In ancient Delphi, those who were executed by falling were usually done so for sacrilegious offenses. However, in pre-Roman Sardinia, elderly people who could no longer support themselves were subdued with a neurotoxic herb and then thrown from cliffs. During Roman rule, murderers and traitors could be executed this way, too. Those with any sort of disabilities were thought to have been cursed by the gods and thus either outlawed or executed in this manner."

"So, what about Mr. Hart? If it was _damnatio ad bestias_ , what was his transgression? The Romans sentenced Christians." said Victoria.

"True, but they would also send traitors to their deaths, too. Our unsub could have viewed Mr. Hart as a traitor to his religious family." said Spencer.

"So, he's an injustice collector." surmised Victoria.

"He's choosing specific methods in which to kill his victims based on their sins," said Spencer, nodding.

"So far, the victims have been connected. Do you think their families are in danger?" Victoria asked, looking at JJ.

"I've warned them to be aware that they could be targeted." said JJ with a slight dip of her head.

Victoria turned when Hotch entered the room. "There's another body." he announced, pursing his lips.

Spencer sighed. He grabbed his jacket and headed out with Victoria to investigate. They drove to the dump site, a public park. Spencer ducked underneath the police tape and headed for the body. "The victim's a woman this time," he observed. He crouched, looking at the wounds.

"It looks like every bone in her body was broken." Victoria muttered. Spencer's eyes roved over the bruises and cuts devouring the woman's body. A fancy necklace was the only thing she wore. Her hair and body were dirty, as if she had been outside the whole duration of her time with the unsub. Spencer frowned.

"I think she was crushed to death." he said.

"What significance does that have?" Victoria sounded faint.

Spencer stood and looked at her. "It was used as torture method during the Salem Witch Trials."

"But why leave the necklace? That has to be important." Victoria said, pointing.

Spencer tilted his head. "Maybe that's her sin?"

"A necklace? Do you think she stole it?" asked Victoria.

"I'll have Garcia check for stolen necklaces." said Spencer. His mind reeled. "In Roman mythology, there was a maiden who betrayed the city of Rome to the Sabines for jewelry. She was crushed to death instead."

"This guy really doesn't like betrayal. It's like he's punishing what he considers an act of treason against morality." said Victoria.

Spencer nodded. "And he won't stop until we catch him."

…...

The next two weeks passed with the appearance of nine more bodies. The BAU team struggled to close in on the unsub, but they were missing something. They had a profile, but something… It was lacking. The victims were not connected in any way. Victoria studied the victimology. There had to be some sort of connection. Victoria ran a hand through her hair. Something wasn't right. The backstories seemed oddly… familiar. Where had she seen them before?

John Hart had been an atheist hiding in a Christian family. Greg had been a homosexual soldier and John's son. Jorge Hernandez had worked for the Harts but had failed to show up for work. Susan Rogers had been a shoplifting nun. James Holloway had been a pastor unfaithful to his wife and overall selfish. Norman Heflinger had been an adulterous man embezzling money from his company. Tim Nelson had been deeply in debt. Lewis Gray had been a college student who'd been selling drugs to pay for school, but had neglected his daughter. Harry Youngblood had been a successful lawyer, but took too much time off to be with his family and was on the verge of losing his job. Christopher Ryan had been a wealthy man who enjoyed throwing rambunctious parties.

Victoria jumped when her phone rang. She answered it. "Hey, Lewis." she said.

"I'm sending you pics of what the unsub did to our latest victim… Prepare yourself. It's… I've never seen anything like it." said Lewis.

"Okay," said Victoria. "What was her name?"

"Alison June. She's been married multiple times. Outlived all of her previous husbands." said Tara.

Victoria's phone vibrated with the incoming of Tara's text. Victoria looked at the picture. Bile rose up in her throat. Alison June's back had been sliced open. Her ribcage had been pulled out an expanded to look like a pair of angel wings. Her body was tied to make it look as if she were praying. Victoria put the phone back to her ear, frowning. "Did… Did you say her name was Alison?" she asked.

"Yeah, why?" Tara asked.

Victoria stared at the case file before her. "I think I know what's going on."

…

"All right, Parker, you have the floor." said Hotch.

Spencer gazed at his girlfriend and gave her a reassuring nod. She took a deep breath, looking nervous. "I think it's the _Canterbury Tales_. All of the victims had some sort of contradictory trait, just like the characters in Chaucer's most famous work. John Hart was the Knight. The Knight was supposedly a devout Christian, but he told a tale about the Greek and Roman gods. The Squire was his son and was a good knight, but he was more interested in the arts and fashion than he was with being a proper squire. Some critics think he was gay. The Prioress was incredibly vain and wore a necklace that said 'love conquers all' on it. Susan Rogers was a shoplifting nun. And our latest victim, I think she's the Wife of Bath. Her name is even Alison." said Victoria.

Spencer watched the pieces fall together and widened his eyes. "She's right," he muttered. He furrowed his brow. "The blood eagle –the way our latest victim was killed –is only mentioned in late skaldic poetry, and scholars aren't sure it was actually a method used as execution in the time of the Vikings. In the case where it is mentioned, it was two men, members of the then royal family, in response to killing their father."

"So, this execution method is inaccurate?" JJ asked.

"Technically, we don't know if this was ever a method actually used. All of the execution methods our unsub has used are punishments for treason, they've just been used in certain instances that loosely apply to our victims. But to answer your question, yes. This execution method is inaccurate." said Spencer.

"So, this could be his mistake." said Rossi, frowning.

"Well, what's the message?" asked JJ, walking forward.

"This is an extreme act of rage," said Victoria. "He hates her. Maybe the unsub knew her."

"She looks like she's praying," said JJ. "A fallen angel?"

"His fallen angel," Victoria replied quietly. "What if this was his significant other? Or sister? He feels angry enough to do something like this, to deviate from his M.O. to send a message. This woman needs to atone for her sins in his mind, and he wanted her to suffer."

Hotch dialed Garcia's number. "Welcome to the oracle, how may I assist?" said Penelope.

"Garcia, we need you to find out if our last victim, Alison June, had a significant other or brother. A male who was close to her." said Hotch.

"He'd be a recluse, with above average intelligence." added JJ.

"Look for men who have studied medieval literature extensively," said Victoria. "He might even be a professor."

"Bingo," said Garcia. "Dr. Warren Randall, professor of medieval literature, was engaged to Alison June… Oh, boy. She was cheating on her husband with him. They called the engagement off a few days ago. Raised by Gina and Fred Randall… Looks like it was an abusive household… Mother died a month ago."

"Talk about a trigger," muttered Rossi.

"Do you have an address?" Hotch asked.

"Yes, sending it to you now. Be careful, you guys." said Penelope.

…

JJ sped the SUV toward Warren Randall's house out in the countryside. Victoria strapped on her Kevlar as JJ drove. They slowed as they rolled over a small bridge leading toward the house. A ditch ran parallel to the right side of the SUV. Victoria narrowed her eyes, clocking the house. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement. She glanced to see a truck speeding straight for JJ's side of the SUV.

"JJ!" Victoria yelled. JJ looked, but the truck slammed into the side of their SUV. The car tipped sideways, banging Victoria's head against the window. The car rolled into the ditch. Victoria's head smacked against the window again. Black spots danced into her vision. Her shoulder ached from bashing against the door. The SUV stilled, leaving Victoria slumped on her bruised shoulder and slightly upside down. She groaned and glanced toward JJ, who appeared unconscious. Victoria tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, but it was jammed. She tried to swallow the panic rising in her throat as the blood rushed to her head. She sifted through her pockets, looking for the pocket knife attached to her keychain. Her keys weren't in her pockets. Victoria moved her head, searching. She spotted her keys on the roof of the car, a few inches from her. She strained to reach them, her shoulder and wrist screaming in protest. Her fingertips brushed the key ring and pulled the keys toward her by a hair. She strained again, this time grabbing the keys. She flicked the knife open, stars spiraling in her eyes. She sawed at the seatbelt until she dropped into a heap on the roof of the car. Glass crackled under her weight. She crawled over to JJ and cut her friend loose. Then, Victoria pulled herself out of the broken window on the passenger side. Someone grabbed her. Victoria beat at the stranger's chest, struggling to pull herself free.

"Parker, Parker, it's me!" Hotch's voice stilled Victoria. She frowned and focused on Hotch's face.

"JJ…" she muttered.

"Rossi's got her," said Hotch. "Can you walk?"

Victoria felt herself nod, but her head lobbed awkwardly. Hotch helped her stumble and climb out of the ditch. "The unsub?" Victoria questioned, stopping in her tracks.

"We got him," said Hotch. He led Victoria to the back of the ambulance. "We'll take you and JJ to the hospital."

Victoria winced as Hotch helped her into the back of his SUV. Rossi helped a half-unconscious JJ beside Victoria, who examined her friend. Blood trickled down the side of JJ's face and her left wrist was twisted at an odd angle and bruised purple. Victoria felt her chest sting. She leaned her head back, struggling to keep her eyes open.

…

Spencer found the floor Hotch had told him to go to. He asked a nurse for Victoria Parker's room. The nurse indicated down the hall and to the right, and Spencer took off at a run. He pushed his way into the hospital room. Rossi and Hotch stood around Victoria's bed. She winced, holding a bag of ice on the side of her face. Spencer rushed to her immediately and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm okay," said Victoria as Spencer withdrew. "JJ's worse."

"How much worse?" Spencer asked.

"Broken wrist and a concussion," said Hotch.

"I've just got a mild concussion. I'll be fine." said Victoria. Spencer scowled when he caught sight of the shadow around her eye. Red marks peeked out the top of her blouse and streaked past her collarbone. Spencer pursed his lips. That seatbelt hickey would probably leave a bruise in the morning, but he didn't point it out. He let out a huff of breath.

"I'm glad you both are all right." he said.

Victoria smiled. "As soon as JJ's ready, I wanna get outta here." Spencer nodded in agreement. Thank God this case was over.

 **…**

 **I finished writing my paper and my midterms earlier than I thought, so I decided to whip this up. The execution methods are real. I tried to pick ones that correlated with the Canterbury Tales characters, but none of the characters committed treason or patricide or anything like that, lol. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	43. Chapter 43

**_Plans and an Unexpected Visit_**

"You sure you're okay?" Spencer asked.

Victoria offered him the slightest twitch of her lips. She dipped her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I'll see you tonight."

Spencer nodded and leaned over the armrest to kiss her cheek. Victoria got out of his car and strode toward her damaged house to meet with the tree removal service. Spencer pulled out of the driveway and drove toward Rossi's. When he reached the mansion, he parked his car, got out and entered the house to find the rest of the team waiting for him. Garcia clapped her hands and bounced up and down. "Finally! Is this about what I think it's about? Please, please, please tell me it is!" she cried.

Spencer failed to suppress his smile as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, velvet box. "I want to ask Victoria to marry me."

Garcia squealed. "Yes! I knew it!"

"Complimenti!" Rossi grinned, extending his arms. He kissed Spencer's cheeks.

"Spence!" JJ gasped, pulling Spencer in for a hug.

"About damn time, pretty boy!" Morgan said. Savannah smiled and embraced Spencer. Hotch patted Spencer's back, grinning. Tara clasped her hands together and smiled.

"But something tells me you called us all here to tell us more than just that," said Garcia. "What's up?"

Spencer rolled on the balls of his feet. "I'm not sure how I want to do it."

"Oh, my man, you came to the right place." said Morgan.

"Certainly," said Rossi. "With all of us, I'm sure we can plan a proposal that'll be just as memorable as it is fitting."

"What you need to do is take her out to a nice restaurant with some roses and candlelight, the works…" said Morgan.

JJ shook her head. "Does that sound like Parker to you?"

"JJ's right. We have to think about what Victoria would like." said Penelope.

"All right, so what kind of dates do you guys go on?" Hotch asked, turning to Spencer.

Spencer flashed his frog-face. "Er, well… I take her to dinner, sometimes we go to the movies…"

"Which dates did she seem to enjoy the most?" Tara asked.

Spencer frowned and thought back. "She enjoys our coffee dates a lot. And when we went to haunted house… We went looking at Christmas lights one time and she really enjoyed that. And when we all went to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter stuff."

Penelope fished a small notepad and pen out of her purse and scribbled down the things that Spencer had said. "Okay, this is good, this is good! More! What are Victoria's favorite things?"

…

"It'll take a few days to remove the tree, and your insurance will cover most of the damages." said the arborist.

"And the rebuilding process?" Victoria asked.

The arborist shrugged. "That ain't my job, lady."

Victoria sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Someone knocked on the door. Frowning, Victoria crossed the living room and answered the door. She widened her eyes at the sight of her sister. "Surprise!" Alice cried.

Victoria gaped and hugged Alice. "What are you doing here?"

"I can't come visit you?" Alice giggled. She peered around Victoria. "Is that the tree?"

Victoria bit back a sarcastic reply and nodded. "Yeah."

"Damn." said Alice, swaying slightly. She looked at Victoria. "Well, I do have a purpose for my visit…"

"Mhm…" Victoria said, crossing her arms.

"I wanted to tell you in person because Shreveport is getting suffocating with everything that's going on, and Sammy's out of town." said Alice.

"Tell me what?" Victoria asked, her stomach dropping. Had Nana's condition worsened?

"Well… I'm pregnant." said Alice, beaming.

Victoria's jaw dropped. "Shut up," she said. Alice laughed. Victoria embraced her sister. "Congratulations!"

Alice rocked back and forth with Victoria, giggling. "Thank you! You'll be godmother, of course."

"A-are you sure?" Victoria said, pulling away.

"Don't ask stupid questions. Of course I'm sure." said Alice.

Victoria grinned. "I'm buying all noisy toys for your kiddo."

"And I'm teaching yours cuss words." Alice retorted, smirking.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Getting ahead of yourself, are you?"

"Oh, I'm sure it'll happen soon enough." said Alice, winking. Victoria shook her head. Her phone rang. She stepped outside to answer it.

"Hey, Spence." she said.

"You ready to go to dinner?" he asked. Victoria bit her lip.

"Hold on," she said. She poked her head inside. "Alice, I had plans with Spence tonight…"

"Say no more," said Alice. "I was planning on a chill night in the hotel anyway. I'm still jetlagged. You and I can celebrate tomorrow."

"Thank you," Victoria mouthed. She slipped back outside. "Yes, I'm ready."

"What was that?" Spencer asked.

"Alice," said Victoria.

"She's here? Why?" Spencer replied.

"She's pregnant," said Victoria, not able to contain her smile.

"Really? That's awesome," said Spencer. "Tell her I said congratulations. I'm sure I'll be able to tell her in person at some point, but…"

"Yeah, I'll tell her." Victoria smiled.

"I'll pick you up in a bit." said Spencer.

"Okay. See you soon." Victoria said. She hung up and headed inside to catch up with Alice.

…

Spencer rapped his knuckles against the door. Victoria answered it moments later. She had traded her jeans for a cream-colored skirt over brown tights and matching brown heels. A white sweater was tucked into the skirt. Her hair cascaded in their natural waves. Her makeup was matte, but heavier than what she wore to work. Spencer cleared his throat.

"You look beautiful." he said.

Victoria smiled. "You look handsome."

Spencer looked down at his brown-and-white gingham button-down shirt over dark brown pants. He had left his tie behind for the night. He lifted his eyes to meet hers. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward him gently. He planted a heated kiss on her lips. Victoria's hand snaked to the back of his neck to toy with his hair as his lips slid against hers. After several heartbeats, Spencer broke off the kiss for air. Victoria wriggled her eyebrows at him. Spencer laughed and looped his fingers with hers. He brought her to his car and opened the passenger side door for her. Victoria dipped her head in thanks and slid inside. Spencer rounded the car and hopped into the driver's seat. He revved the engine and left Victoria's house and headed for the steakhouse. He tried to contain his smile, thinking of his plan the team had helped him come up with to propose.

"So, how'd it go?" Victoria asked.

"What?" Spencer replied, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Your meeting with Morgan." said Victoria.

"Uh…" Spencer said, wracking his brain. He had plenty of statistics, but not one excuse.

"You said he wanted to talk to you about something," said Victoria.

"Oh, it was just… guy stuff." Spencer said.

"Guy stuff?" Victoria sounded amused. "What, like, bitches and hoes?"

Spencer let out a chuff of laughter. "Something like that, yeah."

"Right," Victoria sounded as if she didn't believe him, but didn't press the matter.

"So, Alice is pregnant." Spencer commented, pulling up to the restaurant.

"Yeah, weird, right?" said Victoria. "I mean, she's my little sister."

"Weird to see her growing up?" Spencer guessed, parking the car.

Victoria shrugged. "In a way."

They got out of the car and entered the restaurant. Spencer gave the name for their reservation. They were a bit early, so the table wasn't quite ready. Victoria rested her head on Spencer's shoulder as they waited.

"Spencer?" said a voice. Spencer felt his stomach drop. He turned. He widened his eyes.

"Dad." he greeted.

Victoria straightened. Spencer gave her hand a gentle squeeze. William Reid's face broke with a grin. "I haven't seen you since…" William Reid trailed off.

"Since the Riley Jenkins case, yeah." Spencer replied.

"Yeah," said William. "How have you been?"

"I've been well," said Spencer. "You?"

"Good," said William. "And who's this?"

"This is Victoria, my girlfriend." said Spencer, letting go of Victoria's hand to put his arm around her waist.

"Nice to meet you," said Victoria, shaking William's hand.

"Likewise," said William. "I, uh, didn't know you had a girlfriend, Spencer."

"We haven't really kept in touch." Spencer replied, his tone cool.

"Yeah," William grimaced. "How's your mom, by the way?"

Spencer resisted the urge to flinch. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He felt Victoria take his hand and rub her thumb over the back of his. "She has dementia."

William's face blanched. "Oh," he muttered. "Spencer, I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"You wouldn't know, would you? You haven't talked to me." said Spencer.

"You didn't talk to me, either." William snapped.

"You're his father," muttered Victoria. William turned his cold gaze to her, and Spencer had the oddest urge to shield her from his father's glare.

"Dr. Reid? Your table for two is ready." said the hostess.

Spencer turned. "Thank you," he said. He ushered Victoria ahead of him. William grabbed Spencer by the arm, who turned. "What?"

"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me. I thought it was easier if I just stayed away." said William.

"Maybe it was, but that doesn't mean it was right." said Spencer.

William pursed his lips and nodded. He sighed. "Well, you… You seem well."

"I am." said Spencer.

"And the girl? Are you serious about her?" William asked.

Spencer glanced after Victoria, who had disappeared after the hostess. He looked back at his father. "Yeah, I am."

"What does she do?" William asked.

"She's a profiler." Spencer replied.

"Is that good for you? I mean, aren't you around profilers all the time? You don't want a break from that?" said William.

"No," responded Spencer, "they're my family."

William nodded. "Well, as long as she makes you happy…"

"She does," said Spencer. He inhaled, feeling obligated to at least tell his father. "I plan to ask her to marry me."

"Really?" William's eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Spencer answered.

"I'd like to talk, Spencer." said William.

"How long are you in town?" Spencer sighed.

"I leave in a few days." said William.

Spencer put his hands in his pockets. "Maybe we can get lunch or something."

"Really?" William's eyes brightened.

"If I'm not busy." Spencer answered.

"I… I'd like that, Spencer." said William.

Spencer pursed his lips and nodded. "I'll give you a call." He turned and headed to find his table with Victoria, his stomach twisting in his stomach.

…

Victoria kicked off her heels as soon as she entered Spencer's apartment. Her boyfriend sat on the couch, fiddling with the fabric of his pants. Victoria's lips twitched. She crossed over to the stereo. She plugged in her iPod. She found her dance playlist and hit play. "I'm Good" by the Mowgli's began. Victoria bounced to the beat, jumping on the balls of her feet and twirling around. Spencer raised an eyebrow. Victoria held out a hand.

"Don't make me dance alone like a weirdo," she called. Spencer rolled his eyes but smiled. He accepted Victoria's hand and got off the couch. He gripped her hands and jumped around with her. It didn't take long for a smile to spread across his face. They jumped and twirled around in their socks, slipping and sliding on the hardwood floor. Spencer placed a hand on Victoria's waist and held her other hand. They skipped around the apartment, laughing and dancing until the song ended. Victoria paused her music, gasping for breath. She turned to Spencer. "Feel better?" she asked.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. He pulled her close to him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Victoria breathed. She lifted her chin to brush her lips against Spencer's. He returned the kiss and backed Victoria into the couch. She laid down and Spencer crawled on top of her. They resumed their kiss. Spencer slid his hand up Victoria's shirt. She gasped slightly. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, leaving him bare-chested. Victoria cupped Spencer's face with her hands as they kissed and grinded, forgetting William Reid.

 **…**

 **After the previous dark chapter, I decided to give you guys a bit of fluff. Hope you all enjoyed, please review!**


	44. Chapter 44

**_Marry Me?_**

"Where's your girlfriend?" asked William, looking around.

"She's spending time with her sister." said Spencer.

William nodded slowly. "Have you… popped the question yet?"

"No." said Spencer, shifting in his seat.

"Well, why don't you tell me about her? I'm guessing she's gotta be pretty smart to keep up with you." said William.

"She is," said Spencer. "But she doesn't have to keep up with me. I'm not trying to outdo her in anything. She makes up for what I lack, and I her."

"I didn't mean anything by it, Spencer," said William. "So you two met on the job?"

"Yes," said Spencer. "She was my counselor at the time."

William's eyebrows shot up. "And she didn't lose her job for starting an affair with you?"

Spencer's brow furrowed. "We didn't start an affair," he said. "We didn't start dating while she was my counselor. She was with somebody else then."

"Oh," said William. "What happened?"

"It didn't work out," Spencer replied. "I had a different girlfriend at the time, anyway."

"You never told me about that." said William.

"I don't like talking about her," said Spencer.

"It didn't work out?" William guessed.

"She died," Spencer snapped. William fell silent. Spencer cleared his throat. "Victoria helped me through it, and I realized… Some part of me had loved her for a long time, and I was ready to love her fully. She was, too. By that point, she was as much of the team as I was, so it didn't matter if we dated and she was my counselor. We would protect her from the corporation. She had to leave, anyway. We've been together ever since."

"Well, I'm happy for you, Spencer," said William. "She seemed to love you, from what little I saw. She was ready to fight me for you."

Spencer's lips twitched. "Yeah, she can be pretty protective."

"So," said William, "tell me what's going on with Diana."

…

"Nana misses you," said Alice. Victoria's heart twanged at the mention of her grandmother. She glanced at her sister.

"I miss Nana, too. I'll call her later today." she said.

Alice smiled. "I wasn't saying that to make you feel bad," she said. "What about this?"

Victoria sighed. "I don't think I want to get him clothes… Ugh, what am I supposed to do? It's our anniversary and I didn't get him anything… I was supposed to order him something, but I totally forgot… And I wasn't sure we were gonna have an anniversary."

"What does he like?" Alice asked.

"Books," said Victoria. "But I don't want to get him books. I want to give him something meaningful."

"Give him a care package," said Alice. "Like we used to send you when you were in college."

Victoria glanced at her sister. "That's not a bad idea."

Alice grinned cheekily. "Can we go see a movie? I need some popcorn."

"Sure," said Victoria.

After spending the afternoon putting together Spencer's gift, the girls headed to Alice's hotel room to let her get ready. Victoria left her gift for Spencer in the hotel room and then they headed for the theater. They decided on some dumb romcom. Victoria checked her phone before shutting it off during the movie. Spencer still hadn't texted her about his brunch with William. After the movie and some shopping, Victoria checked her phone. She was supposed to meet Spencer at her house at seven o'clock. It was four.

"I gotta get home," Victoria said. "I need to get ready for my date with Spencer."

"You think I'd leave you hanging?" Alice scoffed. "Penelope and JJ have insisted you go over to Penelope's for a makeover."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "I'm starting to think you're trying to keep me away from my house."

"Why do you wanna go there, anyway? There's a tree in your room, remember? Not like you can get to your closet and makeup, anyway." said Alice.

"Touche," said Victoria breathily. "All right, let's go."

They drove to Penelope's apartment. JJ answered the door, grinning. "Hey!" she cried, hugging Victoria.

"We need a girls' night if this is your idea of fun," said Victoria, chuckling.

JJ rolled her eyes. "Please, everyone's happy for you and Spence."

"It's just our anniversary." said Victoria.

"Excuse me?" snorted Penelope, stomping into the room. "Did I hear you right?"

"Uh…" Victoria glanced at JJ and Alice for help, but they said nothing.

Penelope grabbed Victoria by the hand and hauled her to the bathroom. "My OTP is about to celebrate their second anniversary, and you think it's no big deal? After what you and Reid put us through this year? Hell no, girl. We are going to make you look damn fine. Reid is gonna want to take a cold shower, if you catch my drift."

Victoria put her face in her hands. "Oh my gosh…"

"But you'll also be classy," said Penelope, turning on her curling iron. "So when you walk out, Reid will be like, 'Yes, that is my queen.' Got it? Okay, go team."

Penelope got to work on Victoria's makeup. Alice curled Victoria's hair while JJ put together some possible outfits out of the clothes Victoria had bought that day. After nearly two hours, the girls finished. Victoria beamed at herself in the mirror. Garcia had worked wonders. Her face glowed in all the right places. Her cheeks were contoured, yet blended to look natural. Her eyes were matte, with a slight wing to the liner. Her lashes were long and thick. Her lips were a berry pink. Her hair danced into loose, shiny curls. Alice braided half of Victoria's hair up but kept the rest down. Victoria felt more than beautiful… She felt radiant.

Victoria thanked Penelope and her sister. Then she turned to JJ, who held out a sequin dress. Victoria stared at it. "I don't know what Spence and I are doing tonight…" she said.

"Trust me, you'll want this." said JJ. Victoria nodded, barely containing her smile. She slipped into the gold sequin dress. The front was modest, but the back was open, leaving her shoulders bare. She went braless, as the dress was tight enough to keep the girls relatively in place. The fabric was thick enough that she didn't have to worry about her nipples saying hello. Once she slipped on her heels, Victoria faced her friends, feeling like Aphrodite herself.

"Oh, boy. Reid's gonna want to marry you on the spot." squealed Garcia. Alice and JJ shot Garcia a glance, but Victoria ignored it. She was ready for her date with Spencer.

…

Spencer widened his eyes as Victoria strode toward him, sparkling like a star. She beamed at him. He swallowed and then smiled. "You look stunning." he said.

Victoria looked away. "And you look handsome. I love the suit."

Spencer looked down at his suit before glancing at Victoria. "You ready for dinner?"

"Yeah," said Victoria. "Where are we going?"

"We're staying here," said Spencer, gesturing to Victoria's house. She frowned, her brow puckering. Spencer held out his arm for Victoria to take. She obliged, still looking confused. She held a basket in her free hand, but Spencer paid it no attention. He walked Victoria toward her pasture, where lanterns had been set up, forming a path. Victoria stopped when she saw what Spencer was leading toward.

In the field, Spencer, Morgan, Hotch and Rossi had set up a table for two. Above the table was an archway, wreathed with flowers and fairy lights. Spencer paused to look at Victoria, feeling quite smug. "Wow," she whispered.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it," Victoria murmured. Spencer had made sure that autumn leaves were weaved into the arch with the flowers. Spencer pulled out Victoria's seat for her before sitting down himself. He laid out the pasta he had ordered from a local Italian restaurant and poured them both glasses of wine. Spencer ate, barely tasting his food. At last, he and Victoria finished. "Gift time?" Victoria asked.

"You first," he said, trying to keep his teeth from chattering.

Victoria grimaced. "I hope you like it," she muttered. She set the basket on the table. "It's a care package."

Spencer frowned as he looked through it. It was filled with different coffee and cocoa mixes, a photo album of Victoria and him, a coffee mug, a Halloween mask, several scary movies, a new pair of Converses and a book on unconventional history facts. Spencer looked up, smiling. "I love it."

Victoria relaxed visibly. "I kind of felt like it might not be enough, but…"

"No, it's got so much in here… A lot of what has to do with us. I love it," said Spencer. He set the care package down and cleared his throat. He handed over Victoria's gift.

She frowned as she took the long, rectangular box wrapped in red paper. Spencer balled his hands into fists and then relaxed, running his palms along his pants, waiting for Victoria to unwrap the gift. Her brow was furrowed as she peeled off the paper. She widened her eyes. "A wand from Ollivander's?" She looked up at him, her face breaking out with a grin. She lifted the lid to the box. "I hope it's Hermione's. Hers is the only one I'm missing…" Victoria trailed off, finally seeing the ring that Spencer had placed around the wand. While she gaped, Spencer dropped to one knee. Victoria looked up at him, her jaw still hanging open.

"Victoria," Spencer began.

"Shut up," said Victoria, her eyes wide, "are you serious?"

Spencer let out a small chuff of laughter. "Yes," he assured her. "Victoria Elizabeth Parker, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Victoria stared at him for several seconds. "I… It's about damn time! Yes!" She launched herself at him and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and picked her up. He twirled her around and then planted a kiss on her lips. He retrieved the ring, a cushion cut diamond with a round halo, and slid it onto her finger. He met her gaze and cupped her face with his hands.

"I love you so much." he murmured.

Victoria beamed. "I love you so much, too."

 **…**

 **Super short chapter, I know. But it's really late and I'm not sure when I'll get to post another. I hope you guys enjoyed the proposal. More to come soon! Please review!**


	45. Chapter 45

**_A Beautiful Disaster_**

Spencer and Victoria stood outside Rossi's mansion, waiting for someone to answer the door. The new ring around Victoria's finger felt heavy, and she kept her fingers curled for fear of the ring falling off. The door opened. Penelope grinned nervously at them. "Did… Did you do it?" she asked Spencer.

His lips quirked with a smug smirk and his eyes slid toward Victoria, who held up her left hand, where the ring glittered. "We're engaged!" Victoria announced.

"YEEE!" Penelope squealed, her face fanning with a grin. She threw her arms around Victoria and then Spencer. She led them inside and scurried ahead of them. "It's done! It's official! They're engaged!" she sang.

Victoria's heels clacked on the wood floor of Rossi's kitchen. She grinned at her team, along with Alice, hovering around the counter with glasses of wine, except Alice. Victoria's hand slipped form Spencer's as she was pulled into hug after hug. Rossi kissed both of her cheeks. Morgan spun her around. Penelope flicked away tears. Hotch embraced Victoria for a longer moment. His eyes seemed a bit teary. Victoria's cheeks hurt from smiling.

"A toast!" announced Rossi, pouring Spencer and Victoria glasses of wine. Everyone raised their glasses. "This team has seen a lot of horrors and experienced a lot of loss and pain together. But we've also had some pretty beautiful moments, too. These experiences have allowed us to grow together and form a bond that goes deeper than friendship. We've always called each other family, but tonight, two have agreed to solidify that title to one day be husband and wife and extend this family. Spencer and Victoria, I can't think of two people who deserve happiness together more than you two. Congratulations."

"Congratulations!" chorused the rest of the team. Victoria and Spencer grinned as they all clinked their glasses together. After they finished their wine, Spencer and Victoria left Rossi's for Spencer's apartment. Once inside, Victoria kicked off her heels with a sigh. She leaned against the wall, gazing at Spencer, who stood across from her. He returned her smile with a soft one of his own. Victoria tilted her head.

"You really do look handsome."

Spencer's eyes shifted toward his shoes, a sheepish smile popping the apples of his cheeks. "Thank you," he murmured. He looked up. "You really do… stunning seems too simple a word, but it's the best one I can come up with."

Victoria laughed. "C'mon, genius, I'm sure you could do better."

Spencer scrunched his lips, thinking for a moment. "You are a kugelblitz."

"Okay, you lost me."

Spencer's lips twitched. "A kugelblitz is a concentration of light so intense that it can create an event horizon, which is a point of no return because the gravitational pill is so strong nothing can escape, not even light."

Victoria stared at him for several seconds before letting out a small chuff of laughter. "That's definitely better than stunning."

"I mean it, though. You look incredible."

"So I should wear this dress more often?"

"I-I definitely like it, but I think I like the ring on your finger more."

"You're sure you're ready for me to become Mrs. Reid?"

"I can't think of anything else I want more."

…

"Any news on the house?" JJ asked.

Victoria shook her head. "None yet," she muttered. "At least that damn tree is gone. They're still fixing up the damage, but I think it'll be good. I'll repaint it and make sure it looks really nice."

"Yeah," said JJ. "Could be a blessing in disguise."

Victoria opened her mouth to reply, but stopped short when Penelope rushed over, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She waved her hands frantically and danced on the spot.

"I-I just got a call, from the hospital, and Morgan and Savannah… They… Savannah… Shot, ER, surgery, Derek needs us!" Penelope said. Victoria exchanged a glance with JJ and Spencer before jumping from her seat on the desk and grabbing her purse and jacket. Spencer followed her out the door and to the car, where they raced to the hospital.

When they arrived, they immediately began spit-balling ideas, but waited for Morgan to show up to give them some actual clarity on what happened. Victoria glanced up when she heard Morgan's raised voice. He pushed at a cop who tried to block him from crossing the crime scene tape.

"Hey, he's an agent, let him through." JJ said. The cop stepped aside, giving Morgan a reproachful look, which Morgan ignored.

"What do we have?" Morgan demanded.

"Sniper from that roof," said Rossi, pointing.

"Whoever did this was tactile and knew exactly what he was doing." said JJ.

"Where were you and Savannah standing?" Spencer asked.

"Over there by my truck. We were just talking, and…" Morgan trailed off, tears in his eyes. "I was the vulnerable one. I was the easier target. Why her?"

"We should check security footage." Victoria suggested.

"Good idea. Morgan, you should be inside in case the doctor has news." said Hotch. Derek nodded and headed back toward the hospital. Hotch looked at the team. "I'm taking him off the case."

"What? Why?" JJ asked.

"He's too disoriented and passionate." said Hotch.

"You didn't quit when Foyett attacked your family." JJ pointed out.

Hotch met her gaze with a grim purse of his lips. "And look how that turned out." He turned and headed into the hospital.

Victoria put her hands in her pockets. "Maybe Hotch has a point."

"But when someone comes after one of us, we never take that person off the case." said JJ. "When someone hurts one of us, they hurt all of us."

"Until Morgan calms down, though, he can't give us any clear insight." said Victoria.

"The decision's done. Let's get to work." said Rossi.

…

"Anything?" Rossi asked, entering the room.

"There wasn't any security footage of the attack, but Garcia's running facial recognition on people in and around the hospital against the people involved with Derek's abduction seven months ago." said JJ.

"How'd he take it?" Spencer asked Hotch, who had followed Rossi into the room.

"As expected," Hotch replied. He looked at Victoria. "Parker, I want you to talk to him."

Victoria frowned. "Do you really think counseling is what he needs right now?"

"I think he needs someone to calm him down and make sure he doesn't do anything rash." said Hotch.

Victoria sighed. "I… Okay." She left the room and headed for the waiting room, where Derek paced.

"Parker, I do not need counseling right now." Morgan said.

Victoria took a seat. "Hotch thinks you do."

"He wants you to babysit me."

"Maybe. But I think you do need someone who will tell you the truth about the situation and give you what you need to handle it." said Victoria.

"What do you know?" Morgan demanded.

"Not much more than you. And I doubt I'll know a whole lot more the rest of the case so that I'm not forced to lie to you."

"So… What truth about the situation can you give me?" Morgan's eyebrows pinched together and he studied Victoria's expression.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat anything for you. There's a real possibility that Savannah and the baby could die," said Victoria. Derek's eyes filled with tears and he looked at his hands. "But I have a feeling this is more about you than them. You said you were the easiest target, but Savannah was still the one shot. I think this unsub wants to hurt you more than anything else. He wants your reaction, which is why you really need to be cautious about how you respond to all of this. I don't want the team under Cramer's inspection again because you're angry."

"How could I not be angry? This guy hurt my family!" Morgan barked.

Victoria leaned forward. "And when someone hurts one of us, he hurts the whole team. Your treatment of the rest of us is not going to solve anything. You trust us, right?"

"Yes." Morgan muttered.

"Then trust that we'll find the man who did this."

Spencer entered the room. Morgan got up. "You came instead of Penelope. You came because you knew I could read her better." Morgan muttered.

"I brought you green tea. It won't make you as jittery as coffee." said Spencer, handing the cup in his hand to Derek.

"Hotch sent you to make sure I'm stable." muttered Morgan.

"He sent Victoria for that," said Spencer, inclining his head toward Victoria, who watched the encounter with steady eyes.

"I don't get jittery." Morgan muttered, his tone teetering on biting.

"Normally not," Spencer agreed. "But I've counted ten heartbeats in the last three seconds. That's higher than usual."

"Look, I know you're trying to protect me, but knock it off." Morgan spat.

Victoria shifted at the look of hurt that fluttered across Spencer's face. "Derek," she said coolly, "you can't ask us to do something that's impossible. You'd do the same if it were one of us in your position."

"When I saw you with Savannah, science confirmed it. You'd found the one. Do you believe that?" Spencer murmured.

"Yes." Derek croaked.

"Then believe me when I say that our team loves you and we are not gonna stop until we find whoever did this. But we can only do that with a completely dispassionate and unprejudiced point of view. Paternal instinct is a deadly bias that we just can't risk. It's for your protection, Morgan. I swear." Spencer replied.

"Okay." Morgan looked at his green tea.

Victoria's eyes flickered to Spencer's, who dipped his head. He turned to leave, but Morgan's voice stalled Spencer.

"The unsub is a father, isn't he?"

Spencer frowned. "Why do you say that?" Victoria caught the waver in Spencer's voice, indicating that if Derek asked any other specific questions, Spencer would be forced to lie.

"Paternal instinct is a deadly bias… Those were your exact words." Morgan's tone was dead.

"I meant…" Spencer trailed off, his eyes flashing toward Victoria's, seeking aid.

"I know what you meant," said Derek sharply, "but that's what you said."

Spencer parted his lips, but no words fled his tongue. Derek pushed past Spencer and stormed out of the room. Spencer met Victoria's gaze. She stood and followed Derek out.

She found him outside, staring at the dark sky. "Derek."

Morgan turned. "How could a father hurt another man's child?"

Victoria folded her arms, shielding herself from the cold. "A man who's desperate to exact vengeance on someone who hurt his child."

Derek pursed his lips. "Are you suggesting that I deserve this?"

Victoria's face rippled with disbelief. "Of course not. I'm only telling you what I think."

"What _do_ you think?"

"I think you need to trust this team."

"I do."

"You're not acting like it."

"Damn it, Parker! I am trying. Would you be okay if it were Reid?"

Victoria pursed her lips. "Of course I wouldn't be okay," she said, "but I would trust the team."

"You weren't there when Hotch's wife was tracked down by Foyett. You weren't there when he beat Foyett to death. You weren't there when he held his dead wife in his arms and _cried_. The team failed that day, Parker." Tears trembled in Morgan's eyes.

"But Savannah is in surgery right now, Derek. The doctors think she's gonna be okay."

Morgan rubbed his face with his hands. "But the baby…"

"Will be okay," Victoria insisted. "You have to believe that."

"What if I do and it's not?" Morgan challenged.

"Then it'll suck. But we'll be here to help you through it, as we always have. But I believe that it'll be okay."

"I've been in this too long to simply believe it's all gonna be okay, Parker."

"Maybe Garcia's rubbed off on me."

That earned a chuckle from Derek. "Maybe."

"Let's go inside. I'm freezing." Victoria said. Derek nodded and the two of them waltzed inside the hospital. Victoria excused herself to get some hot cocoa. As she waited for the machine to drizzle out steaming cocoa, someone approached her from behind.

"You okay?" asked Tara.

Victoria turned. She hadn't noticed Tara in the room. "Yeah, why?"

"I know Morgan's probably not making your job easy." said Tara, leaning forward. Her hands were clasped around a cup of cocoa.

"He's reacting the way I expected him to," said Victoria. "I'm just trying to be a voice of reason to keep him from exploding."

"I think you're helping him. He's calmed down."

"That could be a sign of simmering rage, though."

"True. Oh, Hotch wants us."

Victoria and Tara left the room and headed into a different one, where the team had set up a board with the case information. Hotch looked at them. "JJ has information."

"I… I found this note in the payphone the unsub used to call us about the attack," she said. She passed around the note.

 _Do you see red?_

 _I see red._

Victoria suppressed a shiver. "What does it mean?"

"Well… I don't know. But… I showed Morgan. I'm sorry, Hotch. I thought it would help." JJ replied.

"It's okay," said Hotch. "Did he say anything?"

"No." JJ folded her arms, the corners of her mouth drawn while her lips pressed together. Victoria caught the look of guilt, but didn't pressure JJ.

"I'll go talk to him." Hotch left the room, having caught JJ's expression, too.

Hotch returned several minutes later after the others caught Victoria up in the investigation. "He's gone."

Garcia rewound security footage and caught Derek leaving the hospital. Everyone tried Derek's cell. Derek only answered Hotch. "I'm sorry, man. I gotta do this."

"Derek, where are you?" Hotch demanded.

"I can't tell you that. This is my decision. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Derek replied. He ended the call.

"I have his cell, but the signal just stopped." said Penelope.

"He got rid of his phone," muttered Hotch.

Penelope gaped like a fish. "N-no… We're helping… Why would he do this?"

Victoria rubbed her temples. "The same reason I didn't mention Korey, the same reason Spencer went after him without telling all of you… The same reason a lot of us have hidden things. We don't want to anyone else to get hurt. We think we're trying to protect you, because we're family…" Victoria trailed off, her eyes widening. "Family," she breathed.

"What is it?" Spencer asked.

"This is about family, right?" Victoria said, wringing her hands. "Derek took down the unsub's son. Family is about home. He attacked Savannah, but the only other symbol of home for Derek is a house. Do you think he could be going there?"

"But how does the note fit into that?" Rossi challenged.

"Derek's house isn't red." Penelope agreed.

"No, but he's renovated a lot of homes over the years." said Spencer.

"Yeah, I remember him saying it gave him a sense of control." said JJ.

"Okay, I'm checking the properties… Looks like they're all occupied…This one's rented out to a C. R. Joseph, but it looks like it's vacant." said Penelope.

"Joseph is the English translation of Giuseppe and C could stand for Chaz and R for Rosemary." said Spencer. Victoria nodded, thinking of the unsub and his lost family.

"Here's a picture of the property. Oh, boy." Penelope whispered. Victoria and Spencer leaned over to peer at the picture. The crimson front door was unmistakable.

"The address, Garcia." Hotch said.

"Sending it now. Be safe, you guys." Penelope replied.

Victoria, Spencer and the rest of the team clambered into one SUV. They raced toward the property, praying that they were right and Morgan was there. Victoria prayed they made it in time. She glanced at Spencer, who trembled beside her, his eyes sparkling and his brow furrowed. She slipped her fingers in between his, grasping his hand beside her leg. He stared straight ahead, but gave her hand a squeeze.

Victoria jumped when Hotch's cell rang. He answered the call and put in on speaker. "Go ahead, Garcia."

"I've got Morgan." Penelope said. Victoria didn't miss the catch in her friend's voice.

"Are you all there?" Derek asked. His tone sounded strained.

"Yeah, we're here. Are you all right?" Hotch replied.

"He's got a gun with two bullets," Derek muttered. Victoria's heart stuttered in her chest. "Listen to me, I made a decision tonight that led me to this." Victoria heard a click, the unmistakable sound of a trigger being pulled but releasing no bullet from an empty chamber. Derek choked out a grunt. "This is my fault, you understand? No one else's. And… If this is how it ends, it was meant to be." Derek's voice shook. Victoria's eyes burned with tears.

"Don't say that." Penelope whispered.

 _Click_.

"Promise me you'll look after Savannah and my baby." Derek sounded on the verge of letting loose a sob.

"Of course we will! But you will too!" Penelope cried.

 _Bang!_

Victoria jumped at the sound of gunshots on the line. She heard Penelope's voice come in a whisper on her end of the line, "Derek? Derek?"

Hotch parked the car outside of the house. Victoria pulled out her gun and flanked Tara as they took the side door. Spencer and Hotch took the back while Rossi and JJ took the front. Victoria and Tara cleared the rest of the house. " _We got him._ " Hotch's voice said through Victoria's earpiece. Victoria and Tara headed into the living room, where everyone else had gathered. Victoria, Spencer and Tara rode back to the hospital with Derek while Hotch drove Rossi, JJ and the unsub to the BAU, where they could lock Giuseppe up for good. Derek ran into the hospital and to the delivery room while the others waited in the hall. Penelope caught sight of Victoria and collapsed into her arms, crying. Victoria let Penelope let out her pent-up stress. Once the spunky techie was done, the team delved into casual conversation, joking with each other while they waited for Derek to come out of the delivery room with news.

At last, Derek exited the delivery room and waltzed into the hall, hands folded in front of his mouth, his eyes sparkling as he tried to hold his smile back. He outstretched his arms, a grin fanning across his face as he did so, and yelled, "It's a boy!"

The whole team cheered. Victoria, Spencer and Penelope charged at Derek and wrapped him into a hug. Victoria couldn't tell who she was hugging as the rest of the team joined. After several well-wishes, Victoria and Spencer were allowed to see the baby. They peered at the handsome baby through the nursery window. After a while, they left, giving Derek one last hug before heading home.

…

Victoria wasn't surprised by Derek's desire to leave. His resignation allowed him time with his family, time he deserved. His loss would not be felt any less, however. They had yet to work any cases without him, but already, the absence of Derek gaped like an empty wound. She glanced up at Derek's empty office. Penelope moved about, packing his things into a box. Victoria's heart clenched. Derek had come to her before his resignation a few days ago, as per protocol.

 _"_ _You know, I remember the first time I sat in here with you." Derek muttered._

 _"_ _Yeah, I do, too. You weren't very happy with me."_

 _"_ _No one was," Derek replied. He smiled. Victoria felt her own lips twitch with a smile. Derek's eyes glowed, like hot chocolate beside a November fire._

 _"_ _You seem at peace." she commented._

 _"_ _I am," Derek replied._

 _"_ _You were such an angry man, four and a half years ago. I wasn't sure I would ever be a person this team could open up to, no matter how hard I tried. But something about this team was so… beautiful. I could tell that you were a family, and for some reason, I wanted to protect it. So I did my best." Victoria reminisced._

 _Derek let out a huff of laughter. "Yeah, I think that's when I started to trust you more." His eyes darkened as he stared at places Victoria couldn't see. "I'm gonna miss them. And you. All of you."_

 _"_ _We'll miss you too, but this isn't goodbye, you know."_

 _"_ _I know. It feels like it, though."_

 _"_ _Yeah," Victoria agreed, "it does. And in some ways, it is. You're leaving the team, but you're not leaving the family. You'll always be family. We will always be family."_

 _"_ _I know. That's the only reason I can leave happily, you know. It's because I know that this isn't goodbye."_

 _"_ _Derek, I want you to know that… I am so proud of you. You've grown so much since I first met you, and I am proud to call myself your friend."_

 _"_ _Thank you, Parker. You know, uh, I'm proud of you, too. And I'm really happy for you and Reid. I know he's good for you, because you… You… You let yourself be you around him. Korey… Don't even get me started on that son of a bitch, but he crushed you. But with Reid, you opened up. And I know you're good for Reid, too. I know that for a while, you were uncertain because of Maeve, but… I think Reid needs someone like you. You challenge him in ways Maeve never could, I think. And I think one day, the two of you will make awesome parents." Derek's eyes shimmered as he smiled._

 _Victoria looked at her notepad sheepishly. "Well, Derek Morgan, you are cleared to leave the Behavioral Analysis Unit. This, uh, this concludes our final session together."_

Victoria blinked back tears and sniffled. She glanced toward Spencer, who had not turned the page of his case file. She grimaced and sauntered over to him. She sat on the edge of his desk. "I know something's wrong when I finish reading before you do."

Spencer looked up. He averted her gaze. "You know what's wrong."

"Wanna talk about it?" Victoria prompted.

Spencer looked up at her, his hazel eyes flashing. "Please don't talk to me as a therapist." he snapped. He pushed away from his seat and left the bullpen.

Victoria's chest spiraled with a flash of pain that swelled in her throat. She swallowed, contemplating following him. She pursed her lips and decided against it. "Hey, Parker." Morgan murmured from behind her.

Victoria turned. "Hey, you." she croaked.

Derek tilted his head and smiled. "Thought I could come say goodbye to everyone."

"Didn't we already?" Victoria replied.

"A counseling session issued as protocol doesn't count," Derek retorted.

Victoria smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "Good."

Derek extended his arms. Victoria tripped into them, feeling safe in his embrace. He rocked her back and forth. Victoria shuddered, and the floodgates burst open. She buried her face in Derek's chest and sobbed. Derek stroked her hair. "You know I love you, right?" he said.

"Y-yeah," Victoria choked. She sniffled and pulled back to look at him. "I love you, too."

Derek grinned, tears slipping down his cheeks. "You'll always be my little dork," he promised. His humor faded. "My little dorky sister."

Victoria coughed out a watery laugh. "You like to pretend you didn't come over to the dork side, but… I know I rubbed off on you."

Derek chuckled. "Maybe, maybe," he allowed. He sobered. "Listen, uh… Reid…"

"Yeah," Victoria said, lowering her gaze. "He hates this kind of stuff."

"He hates change." Derek corrected. "And… I know he's perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but he's so selfless, sometimes he forgets. And he doesn't like being viewed as weak or being babied, but… Just, take care of him, okay?"

Victoria managed a small smile. "Always."

…

Spencer watched Derek leave. His goodbye to Derek had ended in tears, of course. But also laughter. Derek had named his child Hank Spencer Morgan. Words could not give Spencer's feelings justice. He would miss Derek, but he knew that as godfather to Hank, Spencer would see Derek a lot.

Spencer drifted toward Victoria, who wasn't really reading her work. Spencer pursed his lips. "I know something's wrong when you've read the same page five times now."

Victoria looked up at him. She'd been crying, and so had he. "I'm okay."

Spencer crouched beside her desk. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. That was uncalled for."

Victoria rested her head on her hand, which covered her mouth. "I… I won't say it's okay, because it wasn't. I'm sorry if I came across as too much like a therapist, but… My first instinct will always be to make sure you're okay. But I do forgive you. I know you're upset and hurting, and I know you, Spence. I know your first instinct when you're grieving is to push people away. I _know_."

"That doesn't make it right." Spencer argued quietly.

"No," Victoria allowed, "but it just means you're human. I know I do things that piss you off."

Spencer smiled. "Yeah, you leave your makeup and clothes everywhere."

Victoria grinned cheekily. "But you know you love me."

"Yes, I do." Spencer replied. He looked around. "I wish I could kiss you here."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, with my blotchy face and snotty nose from crying."

"I always want to kiss you." Spencer pouted.

Victoria offered him a soft smile. "Well, it is Friday… which means it's scary movie night…"

Spencer poked her arm affectionately. "As if I would forget that."

"It's a date, then."

 **…**

 **Sorry if this took a while, guys. I have other fanfictions that I struggle to update regularly and now school… Ugh, school is crushing me at the moment, lol. Two research papers due on the same day and finals are coming up… And I've got to write a short story for my creative writing class! And to top it all off, the holidays are coming, and I didn't think they'd be emotional for me, but they are because they were my grandmother's favorite time of year, and this will be the first year without her… And I think I'm gonna have to end a friendship because I've come to realize that this girl takes advantage of me a lot, and I know that if I do end this friendship, she'll get on Facebook and whatnot and trash me. Yay, my life right now. Sorry for the ranting, I just needed to vent. Have a good one, and please review!**


	46. Chapter 46

**_Thanksgiving by the Bayou_**

Spencer smirked as he noticed Victoria glance at the clock for the seventeenth time in fifteen minutes and twelve seconds. He raised his eyebrows at her, pressing his lips together to hold back a chuckle at her jitteriness. "Anxious to get out of here?" he teased.

Victoria scowled at him. "You're not?"

Spencer smiled. "I am. I'm just not about to fall out of my chair."

"I am not about to fall out of my chair," Victoria insisted, though she scooted back in her seat a considerable amount. Spencer raised his eyebrows knowingly at her, to which Victoria responded by sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm ready for a break from this place."

"Me too," Spencer admitted. The past few weeks had been difficult; with Morgan gone, the team found they needed to adapt to the empty seat in the briefing room. Their missing man added an extra bit of work on each team's desk, too, until they could hire another profiler.

Victoria looked at the clock and threw her arms up in the air. "Finally!"

Spencer laughed. She looked like a kid getting out of school for summer break. He grabbed his coat and bag after packing up his things. Victoria slipped on her powder blue coat and snatched up her purse, bouncing on the balls of her feet. JJ slung her own bag over her shoulder. Rossi waved at them and headed out of the bullpen. Tara hugged everyone goodbye. Hotch trotted into the bullpen, his briefcase in his hand.

"I don't want to see any of you here for a week. Have a happy Thanksgiving." he said.

"You too," Spencer returned. He watched his boss go and turned to JJ, who embraced him.

"Tell your mom I said hi," she said.

"I will. I'll make sure to stop by to see your boys before I leave town." Spencer promised.

JJ beamed. "They'll be happy to see you." She turned to Victoria. "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks," Victoria replied. They hugged, and then JJ left. Victoria puckered her brow. "Where's Garcia? Did she already leave?"

Spencer frowned. "No, I didn't see her go."

Victoria moved past Spencer and headed for Garcia's office. Spencer followed her. He stood in the doorway. Penelope leaned over her desk, her shoulders slumped. Spencer grimaced at Victoria, whose gaze softened. She stepped forward. "Penelope?"

Penelope wheeled around and hastily wiped at her eyes. "Oh, hey," she said. "Is it time to leave?"

"Yeah," Spencer murmured, "most everyone's already gone."

Penelope sniffled. "Oh."

Victoria pulled up the extra office chair. "You okay?"

"Oh, um… I… I just don't always love the holidays, you know." said Penelope.

"Why not?" Victoria asked.

"I… I don't have any family left, you know? So usually it's just me and Sergio. Which is great, I love that kitten, but… I mean, usually, I go to JJ's, or a friend's or something, but JJ's going out of town… Everyone's going out of town this year, and I don't like intruding on family dinners, so it'll be just me and Serg this week." Penelope rambled.

Victoria glanced at Spencer, whose face fell. He crossed the threshold and crouched by Penelope. His chest twanged to see her like this. Victoria reached forward and took Penelope's hands in hers. "Why don't you come celebrate Thanksgiving with me and my family?"

"I-in Shreveport?" Penelope whimpered. "I… I don't want to intrude on your family, V…"

"You're not," Victoria promised. "You are family. My family always cooks more than they need. Spence couldn't go with me this year, and I always need a travel buddy."

Penelope's eyes brightened. "For real?"

"For real," Victoria assured her.

Penelope smiled. "Yes! I… Thank you!" She threw her arms around Victoria, who laughed and hugged her friend back. "Oh, I love you, you wonderful human being!"

Spencer grinned. "My flight isn't until tomorrow morning. Want to go see a movie?"

"Oh, _Mockingjay: Part 2_ is out!" Penelope cried, bouncing up and down.

"Is that okay?" Victoria asked, looking at Spencer. He nodded, smiling softly at the sparkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, let's go."

…

"Penelope, will you text Spencer and let him know that we've landed and are driving to my mom's now?" Victoria asked over the music.

"Sure!" Penelope cried. The song changed. Victoria turned it up. "Clique" by Kanye West resounded through the car, the bass causing the glass of the back window to tremble. Victoria rapped along with Penelope until they pulled up to her mom's house. They grabbed their bags from the trunk. Victoria checked her phone to see if Spencer had responded. She unlocked the screen and pulled up her conversation with her fiancé. She laughed at the goofy selfie Penelope had sent Spencer.

 _PG in the housssseeee!_

Spencer's reply was short, but Victoria could almost see his shy little smirk: _Hi, Penelope._

 _This is your fiancée, the future mother of your children._ Attached to Penelope's text was a video of Victoria rapping and waving her arms in what was supposed to be some sort of dance. Victoria giggled at herself.

 _She makes me so proud._

 _She wanted me to let you know that we have landed and are now driving to her mom's._

 _Thank you. I'm with my mom._

 _How is she?_

 _She's doing well. Tell Victoria to call me later tonight, please._

 _Bitch, we're partying tonight._

 _Please be careful with my fiancée. I'd like to keep her around a while, you know._

 _TO MAKE BABIES?!_

 _Um…_

"Garcia, oh my gosh," Victoria laughed. "He probably doesn't know what to say to that."

Penelope tossed back her head and let out a hearty chuckle. "I can almost see him blushing now!"

Victoria quickly typed a text to Spencer: _I will call you tonight._

 _This is V, right?_

Victoria sent him a selfie as proof. _The one and only._

 _You look beautiful._

 _Thank you. And we are gonna make babies, right?_

 _Haha, of course we are. Didn't want to traumatize Penelope._

 _I think she was trying to traumatize you._

 _Well… She failed. I'm not shy about that stuff around you._

 _Because I'm damn sexy._

 _Haha, you are, but that wasn't what I was going to say._

 _Hey, I'm at my house now. I probably won't be able to respond for a while._

 _That's okay. I'm with the my mom. Call me when you can._

 _Will do. I love you._

 _I love you too._

Victoria led the way inside her mother's house through the side door that led into the kitchen. Her mom stood at the counter, a baker's roller in her hand. Flour covered her face and apron. White specs littered the hardwood floor. Victoria raised her eyebrows at her mom. "What are you doing?"

"Good to see you too," snorted Gemma, wiping her face with her arm. "I invited the grandkids over for cookies and cocoa and games."

"Oh, how fun!" Penelope chirped, rounding Victoria and entering the kitchen.

Gemma's eyebrows twitched. "You must be Penelope," she said. She glanced at her floury hands. "I'd shake your hand, but…"

"No problem, Ms. Parker." said Penelope, smiling.

"Shit, that makes me feel old. Just call me Gemma." said Gemma, grimacing.

"Of course," said Penelope, nodding.

"Help me with these cookies, hoe," Gemma quipped to Victoria, who rolled her eyes and grinned. She waltzed over to the counter. "It's harder than it looks. Roll out the dough, cut out little Christmas shapes and place them on the pan. If they're too gooey, add more flour." Victoria rolled her sleeves and got to work.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Penelope asked.

"You're a guest; you don't need to do anything." Gemma waved her off.

"No, you guys are being totally awesome about letting me intrude on your Thanksgiving. I want to help." said Penelope.

Gemma worked her jaw. "How good are you at decorating?"

"Are you kidding? Mom, you should see this woman's office. She turned an FBI dark hole full of computers into some sort of happy place crossed with a Zen garden." Victoria answered, flattening out a clump of dough.

Penelope flipped her hair back. "You flatter me."

While Gemma showed Penelope what sort of paper mache decorations she wanted up and where, Victoria worked on cutting out Christmas cookies. She spilled a handful of flour on herself, staining her jeans right around the crotch. She chuckled at herself but continued. She rolled the dough in flour and tossed it into the air and flipped it onto the counter. A cloud of white powder puffed into her face.

"Victoria, what in the hell are you doing?" Gemma demanded, snorting. Penelope giggled as she crossed the kitchen.

"Oh, Reid is totally getting a picture of this." she said, snapping a photo of Victoria, who stuck her tongue out at Penelope.

Around six o'clock, the grandchildren arrived. Ivy saw Victoria and gaped. "You're here!" she cried, running into Victoria's arms. Victoria hugged her niece, grinning.

"I should say the same about you."

"Where's Spencer?" Ivy asked, looking around.

"He's in Las Vegas." Victoria murmured.

"What's he doing there?"

"He's visiting his mom."

"Well, he's gonna be sorry. We're gonna have fun without him!"

Victoria laughed and embraced Brett and Grace's other children. Brett followed his kids into the house, demanding that they follow all the rules and show respect. He saw Victoria and brightened. "Hey, you." he greeted, giving Victoria a hug. He glanced at the ring on her finger. "Spencer did a nice job."

"Thank you," Victoria chirped.

"Oh, yeah I totally forgot!" Gemma said. She hurried to look at the ring. "Beautiful! Have you done any planning yet?"

"Yes," said Victoria, pulling out her phone, "I want Brett to wear this outfit." She pulled up a picture of an outrageous, satin and lavender tuxedo.

"Great, I've already got one just like that in my closet. I've been waiting for an occasion to whip it out." said Brett.

"I was sure Grace would have you up to date on all the latest fashion." Victoria joked. She suddenly remembered Penelope. "Shit, I'm being rude. Brett, this is Penelope Garcia."

"V, you described her to T." Brett said, shaking Penelope's hand.

"Aw, you talk about me?" Penelope teased, shooting Victoria a look.

Victoria feigned cuteness and smirked at herself. Brett rolled his eyes at his sister and turned to Penelope. "Yeah, she talks about you and your team all the time." he said.

"You bitch." said a new voice. Victoria turned to see Alice standing in the doorway, a hand on her hip. "You didn't tell me you would be in town today." She hugged Victoria. Alice saw Penelope and squealed. "My favorite people in one place! Except you, Brett." Alice punched Brett's arm playfully.

"You're lucky you're pregnant." Brett said, rolling his eyes.

Alice looked around, checking to see that there were no children around. Once the coast was clear, she flipped Brett off. "Like you'd do anything."

Brett ignored her and looked at Victoria. "Where's Spencer?"

"Las Vegas with his mom." Victoria responded, putting the final cookie tray in the oven. She washed her hands of flour and stood to join her siblings and Penelope.

"That's nice," said Alice, gesturing to the flour stains on Victoria's crotch. "I'm glad you're not messy."

"I'm glad you're not a bitch." Victoria shot back, nudging her sister with her elbow.

"Blame it on my pregnancy hormones."

"What are you doing here? You don't have kids." Brett said.

"Um… Hello?" Alice gestured to the slight bump of her stomach.

Brett made a face. "Yes, I'd love to see the neophyte decorate Christmas cookies."

"I'll do it for him."

"Well, can I for my kids?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"They're not embryos."

"You're an embryo."

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"Your mom doesn't make any sense!"

Penelope laughed. "Oh my gosh, I love you guys." She looked at Victoria. "You're so chill at work. But I see where you get it from."

Victoria curled her upper lip under itself. Penelope giggled when Alice copied the action. "Are you guys doing that dumb-ass face? God, you look like a Who from Dr. Seuss." Brett snorted.

"We're sexy," Alice said, maintaining the face.

"Right. That's the word I'd use," said Brett. He checked his watch. "Well, the Mrs. is waiting for me at home. Empty house means…"

"We don't need you to plant that mental picture," Victoria laughed, waving her hands. "See you later, Brett."

"Yeah, Thanksgiving lunch is at Nana's house tomorrow." Brett reminded them as he sidled out the door.

Alice turned to the others. "Let's go play some games!"

…

Spencer answered his phone on the third ring. "Hey."

"Hey," whispered Victoria.

Spencer frowned. "Why are you whispering?"

"I am currently in a cupboard hiding from small children."

"Okay… Why?"

"I'm playing hide and seek, silly."

"Oh," Spencer chuckled, "that explains it."

"How's your mom?"

Spencer's smile faded. "As expected."

"I don't speak doctor, babe."

"I can tell she's having trouble remembering. There's still that split second of doubt when she sees me."

"I'm sorry, Spence. I know that isn't easy for you."

"It's okay," Spencer replied, ignoring the clench in his chest. "It'd be easier with you here."

"I know… I'm sorry it didn't work out."

"Me too."

"You'll be glad to know that my nieces and nephews were upset to see that you had not come."

Spencer felt his lips twitch. "Well, I hope they know I am just as upset."

"I told them. But I suspect Walker only likes that you bring candy."

"Isn't that the way to every kid's heart?"

"Maybe," Victoria breathed a laugh. "I think they forgot about me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've been in this cupboard for twenty minutes now."

"That sounds fun."

"Cramped is better word."

"They can't hear you talking?"

"That's what I thought. Maybe they all went deaf spontaneously."

Spencer chuckled. "Maybe." He heard Victoria scream on the other end and a child say, "I found you!" Spencer smiled to himself as he waited for Victoria to come back on the line. He could hear her crashing out of the cupboard.

"Well, it is officially my turn to go and count. I love you."

"I love you, too."

…

Victoria, Penelope and the rest of the Parker adults sat around Nana's dining room table. The children played outside in the open field. Nana's house was an hour away from Shreveport, outside a small town called Evelyn. The house sat on a substantial amount of property, complete with open acres and a small bayou. The kids played in the yard, where they promised to stay within view of the dining room window for their parents to check on them.

"Guess who texted me the other day?" Alice announced.

"Who?" Victoria asked.

"Dad," said Alice. She opened up her phone. " _Congratulations on your pregnancy. Wishing you well_."

"Creeper," Brett muttered.

"I ran into him in Las Vegas," said Victoria.

"When?" Alice demanded.

"A few months ago." Victoria said.

"You didn't tell me that." Penelope said, gaping at Victoria, who shrugged.

"He wants me to text or call him."

"Are you?" Brett asked.

"I don't know… I feel like if I patch things up with him, I'll have to invite him to my wedding." Victoria sighed.

"I hate that man," Nana spat suddenly. Everyone looked at her, bemused. Nana waved her wrinkled hands. Victoria ignored the knot in her stomach whenever she looked at Nana's now-bald head. Chemo had changed her grandmother's appearance drastically. She used to look tough, but now… She seemed incredibly fragile. She bruised easily. Her hairless head sported a few scabs from where the chemo had irritated her skin. Victoria noticed her trembling several times. Gemma had told that on top of chemo, Nana needed to buy packages of iron to inject into her bloodstream, as she didn't have nearly enough. Seeing her grandmother so frail sent Victoria's stomach roiling. "He's a bastard and doesn't deserve any of your forgiveness."

"Nana," Victoria murmured. "Don't say that."

"I mean it," snapped Nana. "What kind of a filthy man does that to his wife? What kind of father puts a hand on his children?"

"A shitty one," Brett amended, "but there's no use holding a grudge. It only hurts us, not him."

"Mm," murmured Nana. "I suppose you're right. But if he comes anywhere near my grandbabies again, I'll scratch his eyes out."

Victoria exchanged a half amused, half shocked glance with Penelope. The conversation lightened when they started playing Cards Against Humanity. Nana won most of the rounds, to Penelope's surprise. Victoria relaxed as she watched her grandmother lay down some of the filthiest cards. Nana was still tough. She could beat cancer.

…

Spencer laid down on his bed. He had returned from Las Vegas an hour earlier. He heard the door open and in came Victoria. She collapsed, face-first, into the pillows beside him. Spencer smiled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer.

"Tired?" he guessed. Victoria merely nodded. Spencer kissed her hair. "Me too." His eyes slid shut, and he fell asleep with his fiancée in his arms.

 **…**

 **A laid back chapter, I know. I know some of you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but whatevs. Thanks for all your kind words in my last chapter… I keep meaning to respond via PM, but I'm super forgetful and too lazy to login on my phone. I only ever think about responding when I'm away from my computer… I have finals week, and then my winter break. Hopefully this chapter will tide you guys over. Please review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**_Hello and Goodbye_**

Victoria felt the plane dip, bringing her stomach along with it. She glanced out the window, but only saw the night sky. She slipped off her headphones and looked around, her confusion mirrored on the other team members' faces. Hotch stood and looked at them, his eyes looking deeper set than usual. "I just talked with Emily."

"What did she say?" JJ prompted.

Hotch pursed his lips. "She has a case for us in New York. She's meeting us there. Garcia's in the process of getting us the information. Prentiss has been tracking this killer all over the world. He copies famous murderers and then disappears. The newest crime scene is in New York, and looks like the copy of a Son of Sam murder."

Victoria frowned. "If he disappears, that means he must have the means to travel."

"Copying typically signifies that he's not confident in himself, and he's struggling to find his own identity." said Tara.

"But until we see the case information, we can't do more than speculate." said Rossi.

"Don't worry about it just yet. We'll get there early tomorrow morning, so rest for now. We'll need it." Hotch replied.

Victoria nodded, but she didn't slip her headphones back on. She met Spencer's gaze, who shared her grimace. She reached across the table to squeeze his hand. He returned the gesture, his lips quirking slightly.

…

Victoria watched Emily hug the other team members, receive a kiss on both cheeks from Rossi and shake hands with Tara. Emily caught sight of Victoria and her eyes lit up. "Hey, you!" she cried, pulling Victoria into a tight embrace.

Victoria grinned and swayed with Emily for a few seconds. "How's your team doing?"

"They're great," said Emily, her eyes softening, "I think Anita misses you. Reyes and Rhonda are getting married, Ethan's still a Casanova and Sarah resigned."

Victoria's heart sank. "Sarah resigned?"

"Yeah, that case you worked hit her pretty hard." The corners of Emily's mouth fell.

Victoria nodded. "I don't blame her. That house… What they did…" She shuddered.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. She's working to get her counselor's license, though."

Victoria gaped. "No way. I'm so happy for her!"

"I'll tell them I saw you and that you checked up on them."

"I kinda miss those weirdos." Victoria replied.

"Let's get to work," said Hotch, clearing his throat. Victoria and Emily sobered.

"Right."

…

Victoria stepped out of the room while the team discussed the unsub's possible fishing occupation. She hit the green button on her phone. "Mom? Everything okay?"

"Uh… No." Gemma's voice wavered.

Victoria knitted her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"It's Nana," Gemma replied, her voice thick with tears, "she's in the hospital."

Victoria's heart dropped to her stomach. "What happened?"

"We don't know."

Victoria struggled to control her breathing. "How bad?"

"It doesn't look good, V."

Victoria's eyes stung. She sniffled and ran a hand through her hair. She glanced toward the room where her team waited. They were putting on their Kevlar vests. "I have to go, Mom. Keep me updated."

"Of course, sweetheart. Be safe out there."

"I will. Love you."

"Love you too."

Victoria hung up and joined the team. She kept her eyes down as she strapped on her Kevlar. She blinked back tears and took deep breaths. Nana would be okay. It would be fine. It was probably just the chemo. She was probably just feeling sick… She'd be okay.

"Everything okay?" Hotch asked.

Victoria looked up sharply. "Sir?"

"Everything okay?" Hotch repeated, his eyes narrowing. Victoria felt her face heat up as she felt the eyes of the team fall on her. She parted her lips to reply, but the dryness of her throat blocked any words that wanted to surface, so she nodded.

She cleared her throat. "Everything's fine."

…

Spencer watched Victoria carefully as they scoured the university dorm for the unsub. Despite her insistence that she was, Spencer failed to believe that she was okay. Redness rimmed her eyes. A haze seemed to cloud her vision, as if her thoughts drifted far away from their task. Spencer said a silent prayer of thanks when they did not find and kill the unsub, but Emily. Victoria was in no shape to talk down an unsub. She seemed barely capable of holding her gun. Spencer holstered his and watched Victoria do the same. Immediately she checked her phone. Her tense shoulders seemed to relax as she read the text. Spencer approached her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Victoria looked at him, clearness leaking back into her eyes. "Yeah, I am now. Nana's in the hospital. It wasn't looking good for a moment there, but I think she's going to be okay."

Spencer squeezed her arm. It was all he was allowed to do, thanks to protocol. Victoria offered him a small smile, indicating her understanding. "I'm glad she'll be okay."

Victoria inhaled. "Me too."

"Next time something like this happens… Don't go in the field, okay?"

"Spence…"

"You weren't fine and you know it. If you don't have a clear head, you shouldn't go in."

"I…"

"Victoria, don't argue with me on this, please. If we had come across the unsub… I don't like to think what would've happened."

Victoria's face crumpled. "You think I would've acted out?"

"No, I think the opposite. I think you would've not been able to defend yourself. I… I was worried about you."

"You've done shit like this before."

"Victoria, please. Let's just… Let's promise each other that if either of us aren't feeling clear enough, we won't go into the field. Okay?"

Victoria considered him. She sighed and her defiance faded. "Okay."

"I just don't want to lose you."

Victoria softened. "I know. I don't want to lose you, either."

Spencer glanced around. No one stood near them, and the closest people to them were Hotch and Rossi, and both of them had their backs to Spencer and Victoria. Spencer leaned down and pecked Victoria's cheek. Victoria smiled.

"Dr. Reid, you shouldn't be breaking the rules like that. It's scandalous." she teased.

Spencer smirked and rolled his eyes at her. "Mhm."

They boarded the jet and readied themselves for takeoff. Spencer opened up a book and delved into its pages while Victoria put on her headphones and opened up her sketchpad. Spencer glanced up every so often to peer at her work. Her pencil traced the outline of a mountain landscape. Spencer smiled to himself and continued reading. Victoria put her sketchbook away after a while. He felt her head rest on his shoulder. He glanced at her and smiled to himself when he heard her deep, even breathing.

The plane landed, and Spencer tapped Victoria's thigh. She looked around, blinking the bleariness out of her eyes. "We're at Quantico." he murmured.

Victoria yawned and got out of her seat, grabbing her bag. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"Drooling on you."

Spencer glanced at his shoulder to see a small wet spot. He raised his eyebrows at her, trying to contain his smile and force a scowl. "Really, Victoria?"

She rolled her eyes. "If you want to make me think you're mad at me, try not to smile so much."

Spencer's grin broke free and fanned across his face. He kissed Victoria's cheek. "You're cute."

She stuck her tongue out at him and got off the plane. They headed inside and down the hall, where they could hear Penelope, JJ and Emily talking. Rossi stopped outside Morgan's old office. "Room for one more?" he asked.

Victoria and Spencer exchanged a glance. They wandered toward the voices. Spencer grinned and poked his head through the door. "Can I come?"

"Not a chance." said Emily. Spencer feigned disappointment. "Kidding!" Emily sang.

Spencer, Rossi, Victoria, Emily, Penelope and JJ waltzed through the hall. Tara and Hotch joined momentarily. They all decided on Mexican and headed for the nearest restaurant for dinner. Spencer laughed at Emily's stories from London and relaxed as the tequila settled in his stomach. He grinned at Victoria, who returned the gesture.

"So, you two are engaged, I hear?" Emily taunted.

Spencer looked at her, then back at Victoria. "Yeah, we are."

"Congratulations! Have you guys decided on a date yet?"

"We're thinking sometime next fall."

"Oh, wow… This place is beautiful that time of year. I'm so excited for you guys!"

Spencer delved into the story of how he proposed, trying to keep it relatively short since the rest of the team knew the story.

"She told you to shut up? That's hilarious!" Penelope chuckled.

Spencer laughed with her. He nudged Victoria's shoulder with his. "Well, I'm sure you guys have already heard this, but let's have a toast!" Emily raised her margarita glass. Everyone followed suit. "To the newlyweds, or almost newlyweds, for many years of happiness and a great marriage!"

"May it last longer than all of Rossi's marriages combined." JJ added, shooting Rossi a sideways grin.

"Don't forget that I'm paying for dinner!" Rossi reminded her. His face softened. "May it last twice as long as all of my marriages combined." he added in a mutter.

Spencer laughed. He clinked his glass with every team members', his cheeks hurting from smiling so much.

…...

Victoria's chuckles subsided as she set down her glass after the toast. She felt her phone vibrate, so she pulled it out to check it. It was a text from her mom.

 _She's gone, V._

Victoria stared at the text for several seconds. Heat washed over her and she felt nauseous. She excused herself quietly and headed for the bathroom, dialing her mom's number.

"Hello?" Gemma croaked.

"Mom?" Victoria replied, entering the bathroom, "A-are you sure?"

Gemma let out a soft, humorless chuckle at Victoria's childish question. "Y-yeah. She's gone." Tears welled in Victoria's eyes before spilling over the brim of her lids. She coughed out a sob. She could hear her mother crying on the other end of the line. "Baby, I gotta go."

"I'm getting on a plane tonight." Victoria said.

"Okay, boo-boo. I'll see you later tonight." Gemma replied. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Victoria let her mom hang up. Then, she dropped to the floor, sobbing. She covered her mouth with one hand, attempting to muffle her cries. She buried her face in her knees. She hadn't been there. She'd been enjoying dinner, not racing to the hospital to be with Nana. The bathroom door opened.

"Are you okay?" It was one of the waitresses.

Victoria looked up and wiped her face, attempting to calm her crying. She nodded unconvincingly. "Yeah. Thank you." She stood and blew her nose. Her face was blotchy and her makeup had run a bit. She wiped under her eyes to clean it up, but more tears spilled over. She leaned over the sink, drawing in deep breaths to stop the tears. Her throat hurt from weeping, so she swallowed several times. She slipped out of the bathroom without a second glance at the waitress. Her face warmed and embarrassment washed over her. She returned to the dinner table.

"Everything okay?" Emily asked, noticing Victoria's state at once.

Victoria's resolve crumpled. She pursed her lips, tears springing to her eyes and shook her head. "M-my grandmother just passed away."

"Oh, V…" Penelope murmured. She jumped up to give Victoria a hug. Victoria buried her face in Penelope's shoulder, her body shaking with a soft cry. She pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"Hotch, I need some time."

"Of course. Take as much time as you need." Hotch murmured.

"I'm going to get on the next flight to Shreveport," Victoria announced, putting on her coat. She swallowed several times to keep the tears at bay. Spencer stood and put on his coat, too.

"Get outta here, kiddo. I've got this." Rossi waved her off. Victoria hugged everyone goodbye and left the restaurant, Spencer following close behind. Once they reached his car, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Victoria broke apart immediately. "I wasn't there, I wasn't there… I was here! I wasn't there with her."

Spencer stroked her hair. "Victoria, you couldn't have known."

"I did, though," Victoria sobbed, "I knew she was in the hospital and I-I went to dinner!"

Spencer held her at arm's length to force her to look at him. "Victoria, you cannot blame yourself. You didn't know; you said yourself that your mom said Nana was on the mend. You did your job and spent time with us. You haven't seen Emily in a year. You couldn't have known, sweetheart."

Victoria's blubbering subsided. She hung her head. "I thought she would be here longer."

Spencer pulled her to him. "I know, I know. Nothing can prepare you."

"I just… I wish I could've been there…"

"Nana knew you loved her. And she loved you." Victoria's knees sagged at Spencer's words and she fell against him as her soft cries dissolved into violent sobs. He let her cry until her eyes hurt and her throat ached. Her chest felt hollow by the time her cries subsided. She pulled away when her cries ebbed into sniffles, though she kept her head down. She knew she wasn't a pretty crier.

"W-will you take me to the airport? I… I don't know if I am okay to drive."

"Of course. Do you want to pack any clothes?"

Victoria nodded.

"Okay. Come on."

Victoria said nothing the whole drive. She tried to will away the heaviness on her chest. She felt as if she couldn't quite catch her breath. She closed her eyes, her lashes still wet from her crying. They stopped at Spencer's apartment, where Victoria threw clothes into a bag. She hurried back to the car, and Spencer headed for the airport. Victoria bought her airline ticket online. She had about an hour and a half, which was cutting it close. But it was late, anyway. Spencer stopped outside the airport. He got out to retrieve Victoria's bag and opened her door for her. She felt dazed as she got out of his car. He hugged her again.

"Let me know when you land."

Victoria nodded, still feeling dazed. "Yeah. Okay."

"And tell me when the visitation and funeral are. I want to be there for you. I'll get on a plane tomorrow."

Victoria's breath hitched in her throat as she tried to hold back her tears. Annoyance scratched at her chest like a mangy cat. She hated crying so much. She braved a small smile. "Thanks." Her voice cracked from lack of use.

Spencer kissed her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." Victoria croaked. She kissed his cheek lightly and moved past him and into the airport, her chest feeling heavier with each step.

 **…**

 **Finally done with finals! Woo! In celebration, here's a chapter. I hope you enjoyed. Next one will definitely be longer. Please review!**


	48. Chapter 48

**_The Funeral_**

Spencer strolled into the bullpen. The weight in his chest tightened when he caught sight of Victoria's empty desk. He had received her text at three-thirty in the morning, informing him that she had landed safely. She had also sent the funeral and visitation information to him. Spencer forced himself to sit at his desk and stop staring at Victoria's desk.

"How is she?" JJ's voice pulled Spencer from his thoughts. He looked at her.

"She said she's okay. I think she feels better to be with her family."

"I bet," said Tara, shaking her head. "It had to have been tough for her."

"Yeah."

"Conference room, now!" Penelope cried, marching to the conference room. Spencer frowned. He couldn't go off on a case now! He hurried into the room and took his usual seat. The room seemed much emptier without Morgan and Victoria.

"Garcia, what's going on?" Hotch asked, taking his seat.

"Okay, what is the scoop on Victoria?" Garcia demanded of Spencer, ignoring Hotch. Spencer parted his lips to reply, but Garcia just continued. "Because I did some calculating, and we could all take three days off to go be with her. And I really think we should, because I just can't stand the fact knowing she's there grieving and we're here, and I miss her, and I just want to make her cookies and cocoa and smiles and…"

"Garcia," Hotch interrupted gently, "of course we're going to the funeral."

"Oh. Right. Reid, what's the scoop?" Garcia straightened and peered at Spencer.

"The visitation is on Thursday night at five. The funeral is on Friday at eleven."

"I'll tell Derek and Savannah." Garcia promised.

"Have you checked flights?" Rossi asked.

"Yes. There's one on Thursday at ten in the morning."

"All right. Make sure all of your paperwork is done by the end of the day." Hotch instructed. The team nodded and headed back down to work.

…

The carpet of the chapel muffled Victoria's footsteps. The thick haze of perfume seeped into her nostrils. Her eyes targeted the array of flower arrangements, decorating the entire far wall around the grey coffin. Victoria felt as if a rock weighed her heart down into the acids of her stomach. Her breath thickened like mud in her throat until she struggled to breathe. She placed a hand over her abdomen, wheezing slightly. Victoria noticed several family members at the front of the chapel. Some looked into the open casket, while others stood off and chatted quietly. Victoria hurried to her siblings.

"Hey," sniffled Alice, enveloping Victoria in a hug.

"Hey." Victoria whispered.

"Where's Spencer?"

"He said he'd get here about four-thirty."

Victoria turned to Grace, hugged her sister-in-law and then turned to Brett. Her older brother wrapped her in his arms and then collapsed. Victoria's eyes burned as she felt Brett tremble with a soft sob. She clenched his jacket to keep her knees from buckling. Her eyes squeezed shut and tears leaked through her lashes.

"I can't believe she's gone." Brett croaked.

"Me too," Victoria whispered, holding him. She withdrew and offered him a bittersweet smile. She glanced around, noticing Jason was nowhere in sight. "Where's Jay?"

"He's picking up Seth." Alice murmured.

Victoria nodded. She caught sight of her mother talking to a few of her cousins. She crossed over to her mom, ignoring the casket beside her. Gemma looked up, teary-eyed. "Hey, boo-boo." Gemma murmured, pulling Victoria into a hug. Gemma squeezed Victoria tightly, who closed her eyes, feeling like a child again.

"How are you holding up, Momma?" Victoria asked, pulling back.

Gemma wiped her cheeks with the heel of her hand. "Been better."

"Yeah." Victoria croaked, rubbing her mom's shoulder. She glanced up when Alice approached.

"Have you seen her yet?" Alice's eyes flickered to the casket.

Victoria pursed her lips and shook her head. "Have you?"

"No," Alice whispered. She looked at Victoria, her bottom lip trembling. "Will you come with me?"

Victoria sucked in a sharp breath but nodded. She took Alice's hand and together they stepped toward the casket and peered down at their grandmother. Victoria's first thought was that it wasn't really Nana. She was way too pale. She wasn't smiling. She was too still and bloated with death. She didn't look real.

Victoria reached out to touch Nana's hand. Her fingertips brushed the veiny surface and withdrew quickly. Victoria's eyes burned with tears. She looked at her sister, suddenly feeling as if she stood on a cliff, and had spent too long looking over the edge. Tears streamed down Alice's cheeks.

"She's really gone." Alice whimpered, her face puckering with her grief.

Victoria's own face crumpled and she fell into Alice's arms, weeping.

…

The funeral home worker gestured inside a chapel. Spencer entered, his teammates following with solemn steps. "I feel like we're intruding." Garcia whispered beside him.

His eyes scanned the chapel for Victoria. He spotted her by the coffin, sobbing onto Alice's shoulder, who cried on Victoria's. He glanced at the team and realized they had seen Victoria, too.

"Oh, V…" whined Garcia, jutting her bottom lip out. Her eyes grew misty. Spencer led the way down the aisle.

Gemma noticed him and enveloped him in a hug. "Spencer… Thank you for coming."

"Of course," Spencer replied, squeezing Gemma's shoulder. "This is the BAU."

Gemma wiped underneath her eyes and offered a smile. Spencer left the team to introduce themselves and walked over to Victoria. She looked at him over Alice's shoulder, her face blotchy and soaked with tears. She withdrew from Alice and fell into his waiting arms. He cradled her to him, stroking her hair. Tears prickled his eyes as he felt her body shake with sobs. Alice patted Spencer's arm and trekked to greet the BAU. Victoria eventually pulled away and wiped her face.

"Sorry." she muttered thickly.

Spencer frowned. "Don't be." He stepped aside, giving Victoria a better view of the BAU team. Victoria looked at him, eyes wide, and then looked back at the team. Her mouth fell open and she stumbled toward them.

"You all came?" she whispered.

"Of course we did!" Penelope replied, hugging Victoria.

"C'mon, kiddo. You really think we would let you go through this alone?" Rossi teased, kissing Victoria's cheek.

Victoria let out a soft chuckle. "How silly of me."

Spencer slipped his arm around her waist. He kissed her hairline. He turned when someone tapped his shoulder. Jason offered a slight twitch of his lips in greeting. Victoria turned toward Jason, who caged her in one of his rare, awkward hugs. Spencer's face fell when Victoria broke down again. Spencer exchanged a glance with the team, who all wore equal concerned expressions.

Alice's laugh shattered the grief momentarily. Spencer looked at her, bewildered. Alice gestured to the TV screen hanging on the wall. A slideshow of pictures of Daphne with her family members played, and the current picture showed a much younger Daphne, though still grey-haired, with her arms around two young girls. The younger of the two had long, straight hair and crooked teeth. The older girl had long, wavy hair and braces. A pair of crooked glasses were perched on her nose.

"Which one's you?" Morgan asked Victoria.

Victoria gestured to the girl with glasses and braces. "The sexy one."

Gemma stood at the podium. "If everyone will take their seats, we'll go ahead and get started."

Victoria grimaced. "Ugh, I'm gonna look like KISS up there." She signaled the Rock N' Roll sign with her fingers and stuck her tongue out in a last attempt at humor. Spencer let out a small laugh.

"Are you talking?" Tara asked, sitting in the pew behind Victoria and her siblings.

"All of us except Jason are," Brett murmured, gesturing to the siblings.

Gemma cleared her throat, her voice echoing throughout the chapel. "Um… I'm doing the eulogy tomorrow, so tonight my kids are going to talk about their grandmother. After that, we'll say a prayer and then dinner will be served at Brett's house." She left the podium, keeping her head down. She took a seat. Brett leaned over and kissed her cheek before standing. He paused briefly before the casket, then turned to the podium, his face straining against his grief. He adjusted the microphone to fit his height and cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming," he croaked. Spencer glanced around at the crowded chapel. Many people stood along the edges, and every pew held its capacity of people. Daphne Parker had been quite loved. Brett rubbed a hand over his face. "My siblings and I knew we were doing this beforehand, and we discussed that we weren't just going to stand up here and ramble about how great of a person Nana was. Nana loved telling stories, so that's what we're gonna do. Our family has always loved entertaining, and it started with Nana. When she was a kid up to her teen years, she showed cows. She won several awards for having the best-looking cows. When my grandma was sixteen years old, she showed one particular cow. Well, it was a bull, actually. And it was the meanest creature on this damn planet. It was enormous and aggressive, and Nana's dad had wanted to put it down. No one would deal with it. But Nana, she… She was a feisty thing, y'all. I think people forget that. When she was sixteen she weighed ninety pounds, so she was tiny. And fast. And she would get in that bull's stall and dash up to and pinch its nostrils. And that thing would kneel. My ninety-pound grandmother could get a bull to kneel before her," Brett paused to chuckle along with the congregation. Spencer felt a smile stretch across his face. Brett sighed. "She met my grandfather at that show. And he bet his friend one dollar that by the end of the event, he'd get a kiss from her. When it came time, my grandpa stole a kiss from Nana, and she smacked him so hard that he cried." Brett chuckled along with the congregation. His face crumpled and he looked at the ceiling, trying to hold back his tears. "I'm really going to miss her." he whimpered.

"Aw," Penelope sniffled, tears in her eyes. Spencer watched Brett return to the front pew. Victoria stood up. "Oh boy." Penelope blubbered, eyeing the tear streaks on Victoria's face.

"Um," Victoria mumbled, staring at her hands for several seconds. Spencer's heart clenched for her. Victoria looked up, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "My Nana was an advocator for dreamers. She helped Brett get through medical school and funded Alice's bakery. She bought Jason's first guitar, and when my Pawpy decided he no longer wanted to farm and wanted to start his own business, she helped run it. When… When I was in college, my Pawpy passed away. I was really close with him, so being away at school, away from all the family, was extremely difficult for me. I-I was on the verge of quitting school, but Nana, even heartbroken after losing the man she loved, called me to encourage me. I finished school, and I had a few job openings, some in Shreveport with my family. But the one I really wanted was in Quantico, Virginia, over a thousand miles away from my family. I told Nana about the job before I told anyone else in my family. It would be the riskier job, since the field was more competitive. There was no guarantee I'd get it or even like it. But it meant moving to a new city, where I didn't know anyone, and away from my family. I interviewed for the job, and after a few agonizing weeks, I got it. But by that point, I didn't know if I wanted it anymore. The idea of moving so far away seemed much less appealing, and my mom and siblings didn't want me to leave. Nana knew how upset I was and invited me to dinner. And she told me to go to Quantico. She encouraged me to take the job as a counselor for the FBI, and promised that my family would always be there for me. She said that I didn't know what would happen. If I didn't like it, I could always come back. But I might love it, and I might meet people there who loved me just as much as she did." Victoria's eyes met Spencer's. His eyes prickled. Victoria managed a tiny smile before facing the congregation again. "She was right. I wouldn't be the person I am today if she hadn't encouraged me to take the job. Nana… Nana is indescribable. If I could be even a shred like her, I'd be a far better person than I am. Thank you." Victoria bowed her head, hiding her grief as she took her seat. Spencer leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder. She placed a hand over his.

Alice took the podium. "I'll try to keep this short, because I'm not gonna keep it together. Nana loved people. She really did. And food. She really loved food. Her favorite thing in this world was to have people at her house, laughing and enjoying a good meal. So I can remember a lot of family gatherings growing up, all because Nana insisted we have these experiences. One year, she had everybody over for Christmas. We all stayed the night, so that on Christmas morning, we could open our presents at Nana and Pawpy's house in Coushatta. And Nana went around, taking down everyone's breakfast order and cooked it all herself. Because that's the kind of person she was. She didn't want anyone to be left out, or left behind. She was your biggest cheerleader but also called you out on your shit –pardon my French," Alice gave a watery laugh. She wiped her eyes. "Nana would hate this. I mean, no one really likes funerals, but the fact we're all uncomfortable right now would drive her crazy. So, on that note, I hope you guys enjoy dinner at Brett's house." Alice hopped away from the podium, the light in her eyes fading as she rejoined her siblings. Gemma announced Brett's address and the chapel cleared of people. Spencer got up to hug Victoria, who buried her face in his chest as he stroked her hair. She pulled away, her eyes wet.

"Are you okay to drive?" he murmured.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Spencer nodded. "I'll meet you at Brett's."

Victoria dipped her head. She looked at the team. "Thank you all for coming."

"Of course." JJ replied.

"We all wanted to be here for you." Penelope added, giving Victoria a soft hug. Spencer kissed Victoria's cheek and led the rest of the team outside.

…

Victoria sighed as she sank into a chair in the living room. The rest of the congregation had left, but Victoria's team lingered with Victoria's siblings and mom. Alice plopped into an armchair, rubbing her belly. "Guess who called me?" she asked Victoria.

"Who?"

"Dad." Alice replied.

Victoria straightened. "He called me, too."

Penelope looked at Victoria. "No way."

Victoria nodded. "Two hours after I got the news."

"How does he even know?" Jason muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Facebook is my guess," Victoria sighed. She looked at Alice. "Did you answer?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "As if I needed to deal with his bullshit." She frowned. "You don't think he'll come to the funeral, do you?"

"Please," snorted Brett, "if he showed up, Nana would crawl out of that coffin, spit in his face and die again. He knows better than to show up."

"He did show up to my graduation unannounced." Victoria pointed out.

"Really?" JJ said, glancing at Victoria, who nodded.

"Most awkward conversation I've ever had." she remarked.

"This is different. He won't show." Brett insisted.

"Yeah," Alice said, "Nana hated him."

A moment of silence lapsed over them. Then, Derek cleared his throat. "So, who's the oldest?"

"I am," said Brett, "then Victoria, then Alice, then Jason."

"I loved your stories about Nana. She seemed like she was really great. I only met her once, but I thought she was wonderful." said Penelope, smiling sweetly.

"You met her at a terrible time," Brett shook his head. "She was toughened by chemo."

"She was always tough," Victoria argued.

"She had to be, to put up with all of you." said Gemma, setting down her wine glass.

"Did you guys fight a lot?" Tara asked.

Victoria scrunched her lips in thought. "No," she allowed, "but we were bad."

"I can't imagine you being a bad kid." Hotch said, grinning.

Victoria smiled. "I can remember two fights with Brett, and they were horrible."

"One was when Pawpy and Nana still lived on the farm. What, were we like ten and eight?" Brett said.

"Something like that."

"We had driven out in the pasture to pick up a calf for its shots. Pawpy put the calf in the bed of the truck and Victoria and I held it while he drove back toward the house." Brett began.

"But momma cow did not like us taking her baby and chased after the truck," chimed in Victoria, "and put her hooves on the truck bed. Scared the hell out of Brett and me and we let go of the calf."

"Oh no…" Tara groaned.

"Calf broke its two front legs." Brett confirmed. "Pawpy stopped the truck, took out his gun and shot the calf right in front of us. Told us we had killed it and got back in the truck. Victoria and I of course started fighting over whose fault it had been."

"I'd never seen Pawpy so angry." Victoria shook her head, remembering the look in her grandfather's eyes when he saw the calf wailing and mewling on the ground with its two front legs bent at awkward angles. "Brett and I started punching, biting and kicking each other. When I say he pulled out a ponytail full of hair, I'm only exaggerating a little bit." Victoria winced, rubbing the spot on her head where Brett had ripped out a handful of hair.

"You pushed me out of a moving truck!" Brett argued.

"I did," Victoria agreed proudly.

"She isn't even sorry." Brett pouted, though he smirked.

"We weren't going that fast."

"Still hurt."

"Maybe that's because you're a wimp."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Victoria laughed and shook her head. Gemma's chuckles subsided after several moments. "Well," she said, standing, "we've got a long day tomorrow. I'm going to bed."

Victoria hugged her mom goodnight. Soon, the team left for their hotel. But Spencer stayed with Victoria at Gemma's house once they left Brett's. They crawled in bed and laid in silence. Tears burned Victoria's eyes. "Spence?" she whimpered.

"Yeah?" Spencer's voice replied, coated with sleep.

"I'm sorry to wake you…" Victoria broke off as a sob fluttered out of her throat. Spencer's arms immediately snaked around her and pulled her closer to him. She cried into his shirt until her throat ached, her eyes hurt and her head throbbed. She wept until she was too tired to weep anymore and sleep coaxed her into static dreams.

…

Spencer hardly listened to the pastor's prayers. His eyes were on Victoria the whole time. She stared ahead at the coffin, which was closed and stationed next to an open grave. Flowers adorned the sleek surface of the casket. Victoria held a lily in her hands and her eyes stared glassily at the grave of her grandmother. When the pastor finished his prayer, Gemma, Brett, Victoria, Alice and Jason took turns laying their lilies on the casket. Daphne Parker already had a tombstone, since she shared it with Frederick Parker, Victoria's grandfather. A death date waited to be etched into the stone next to Daphne's birthday. Spencer turned his attention from the stone back to Victoria, who stared at the grave with silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

Spencer walked over to her and slipped his hand into hers, gazing at the grave until Victoria was ready to leave.

 **…**

 **Sorry for the really sad chapter on Christmas and the New Year… Nothing like a little bit of angst to get in the holiday spirit, ya know? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review!**


	49. Chapter 49

**_The Storm_**

Victoria ran a hand through her hair and frowned as she studied her wedding dress budget. She had yet to ask anyone to be her bridesmaids, and she and Spencer had only speculated about a date. She noticed Spencer sit beside her and peered at the papers spread out on the bed. He plucked the one she studied out of her hand. She looked up tiredly. Spencer smiled at her and stroked her hair.

"You were staring holes into that paper."

Victoria managed a small smile. "We need to set a date."

Spencer laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Yeah."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Try to contain your excitement. We're only getting married."

Spencer peered at her and grinned. He sat up. "I am excited," he insisted, "but the planning…"

"Yeah. It's a lot."

"When were you thinking?"

"Fall," Victoria said immediately. Spencer nodded. "October. You love Halloween."

Spencer frowned. "I don't want the wedding on Halloween, though."

"Right," said Victoria, "but we both love fall. The trees would be really nice."

"They would. I'll be right back." Spencer left to grab a calendar, which also contained important dates concerning work. He flipped to October of that year.

"Weddings are normally on Saturdays." Victoria informed him.

He nodded. A curl fell into his face as he looked at the Saturdays in October. "That leaves the fourth, eleventh, eighteenth and twenty-fifth."

"Okay."

Spencer rolled to look at her. "If the colors of the tree leaves are important to you, typically they start to change around the fifteenth to the twentieth or so."

"So they'd be nice around the twenty-fifth?" Victoria guessed.

Spencer nodded. "More or less, yeah. It changes each year."

Victoria bit her lip. "It's pretty close to Halloween."

Spencer smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"Could we do the twenty-fifth?"

"October twenty-fifth…" Spencer thought for a moment. "The actual day doesn't matter as much to me. I'm just glad we're getting married."

"It should matter to you, dork," Victoria replied, shoving him slightly, "that'll be our anniversary."

"And we can spend it in haunted houses. I like it." Spencer replied. Victoria laughed. Spencer pulled her down beside him.

"Have you thought about your groomsmen?"

"Derek as my best man," Spencer said immediately. He fell silent after a few moments. "I could ask Rossi or Hotch. I thought about your brothers, too. Especially Jason. And Seth."

"They'd love that," Victoria murmured.

"Have you thought about bridesmaids?"

"Penelope as my maid of honor," Victoria answered. "Alice, JJ… Maybe Emily, too. Maybe Tara."

"When are you going to buy your dress?"

"I have to find it first," Victoria replied. "I don't know. I want the girls with me."

"Understandable."

Victoria was quiet for several seconds. "I'm not inviting my dad."

Spencer said nothing for a few seconds. He shifted and rolled to his side to peer down at her. His brow furrowed. "Are you sure?"

Victoria met his soft, hazel eyes. "Yeah. I've thought about it, and… It's just drama that I don't need."

Spencer nodded. "And you're not really on speaking terms with him."

"Right. There's not much of a point. He's been trying to get ahold of me, but…" Victoria shrugged. "I haven't answered."

"Do you want to?"

"Sometimes," Victoria admitted. "But then I remember that he's a narcissist and will never be the father I want him to be, so I never answer the phone when he calls."

Spencer kissed her forehead. "So who would walk you down the aisle?"

"Actually, I was thinking either Hotch or Rossi." Victoria confessed. "They've both been huge parts of my life."

"I know," Spencer pulled her close to him. "So ask one of them. I'm sure they'd be honored to do it."

Victoria nodded. "Ugh, we have so much to do."

Spencer chuckled. "At least it's for a good cause."

Victoria smiled. "Yeah, it is."

The next day, Victoria invited the girls to lunch. She had called and asked Alice the night before, who had said, "It's about damn time you asked. I was beginning to think you had a prejudice for pregnant ladies."

Victoria dressed casually and smoothed her sweater in the mirror before leaving the apartment. She drove to the little Italian hole-in-the-wall and parked her car. When she shut it off, she noticed a smell. Her car emitted an aroma of burning oil. She wrinkled her nose and sprayed a little perfume. She'd get to it later. She hopped out of the car and entered the restaurant. A hostess led her to her reserved table, where she waited for her friends to show up. One by one, Penelope, JJ, Tara and Savannah showed up.

They chatted animatedly, catching up on everything that had happened since Derek had left the team. Savannah passed around pictures of Hank Spencer Morgan, and everyone cooed for the baby's fat cheeks. Penelope rattled about the newest guy she'd been talking to, Greg. Apparently they played online every weekend, but they also Skyped a lot. JJ talked about a school project she'd helped Henry with while Tara lamented that she needed a new pair of black heels, as her favorite pair were no longer in wearable condition.

"V, you've been really quiet. You okay?" Penelope said, looking at Victoria.

"Oh, yeah, how's the wedding planning going?" Savannah jumped in.

Victoria flushed. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about."

"Girl, if you need help doing anything, you know we've got your back." said Tara.

"Yeah, a mom of one of Henry's friends is a wedding planner. If you want her number, I can give it to you." JJ added.

Victoria smiled. "Thank you, but I was actually wanting to talk about something more specific." She reached into her back and passed around gift bags. The girls looked at each other but opened the gifts. Everyone pulled out wine glasses, but inscribed on the glasses was the word bridesmaid. Except for Penelope's, which bore the designation of maid of honor. Everyone stared at their glasses for a second. Victoria picked at her fingernails under the table nervously.

Penelope threw up her hands and squealed. "Maid of honor!" She jumped out of her seat and embraced Victoria. "Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!" Penelope chirped. When she withdrew, her eyes sparkled with tears. She wiped her eyes. "Happy tears, dammit."

JJ stood. "Okay, my turn." She hugged Victoria. "You didn't need to ask."

"I thought I'd stick with a little bit of tradition." Victoria laughed. Tara and Savannah both hugged Victoria, too. They all sat down, grinning. Victoria tucked her hair behind her ears. "Now, there is the matter of my finding a dress."

Penelope wiped her eyes again. "I am bursting with happiness right now. Can we go look now?"

"Hold on, hold on!" Victoria laughed. Her smile faltered.

"Uh oh. You're sad. What's wrong?" Penelope caught on.

Victoria forced a small smile. "I'm fine," she assured her. "After my grandmother's funeral, remember how I stayed in Louisiana for a few more days to clean out her house?"

"Yeah." Tara said, her eyes softening.

"Well, I found this." Victoria reached into her bag again to withdraw an envelope. Her hands trembled as she held it. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "There's a letter in here. When Alice got married, my Nana took her and her bridesmaids to New Orleans to dress shop. This letter promises me the same thing… Except she…" Victoria paused to catch her breath. "Sorry."

"Take your time." JJ murmured, reaching to take Victoria's hand.

Victoria smiled sadly. "Nana knew she wouldn't live to see me get married, so… She wrote a check for the trip."

"Oh, V…" Penelope breathed. She placed her hand over Victoria's. "Are you asking us to go on a trip to New Orleans for your dress?"

Victoria looked up. "Yeah. I want all of you there, but if you can't, I understand."

"Are you kidding? Of course we want to be there!" Savannah grinned.

Victoria smiled, her grief ebbing away. "I'll have to talk to Hotch for the time off, but…"

"Oh, this'll be so much fun. After we find the dress, we'll go to Bourbon Street… Agh! I am so excited!" Penelope clapped, grinning widely. Victoria couldn't help but smile, too.

…

Spencer sat at his desk, prepared for a day of paperwork. Victoria sat across from him, fidgeting frequently. He knew that she was preparing to ask Hotch to give her away for the wedding. Spencer caught her eyes and smiled. "It'll be fine."

"I know, I know… I'm not good at this… mushy gushy stuff."

Spencer chuckled. "Says the therapist."

Victoria stuck her tongue out at him. "That's less personal for me. I feel more like a science person when I'm working," she said. She frowned at herself. "A science person… A sciencer?" Spencer raised his eyebrows at her. Victoria widened her eyes. "A scientist!" she realized.

Spencer stared at her. "Sciencer?"

Victoria cringed. "Shut up. I'm really nervous."

Spencer laughed. "You'll be fine."

"No, she won't be! Everything is not fine!" Penelope yelled, hurrying to the conference room. She nearly spilled tea all over herself.

Spencer exchanged a glance with Victoria. He noticed that JJ was late and Rossi was already in the conference room. Hotch was also late. Spencer's stomach knotted. He and Victoria entered the conference room, Tara close behind. "What's going on?" Spencer asked.

"Hotch has been arrested." Penelope stated.

Spencer blinked. "What?"

"JJ wouldn't say much over the phone, but she's on her way right now." Penelope replied. She seemed panicked. Spencer managed to remain calm. Victoria's brow furrowed and she pushed her glasses further up her nose.

"Do we know where he's being held?" she asked.

"Not yet. I've made some calls, but nothing yet." said Rossi.

Victoria straightened. "I'll see if I can't urge that along."

"How?" Penelope asked.

"Remember Cramer?" Victoria replied.

"They're not still watching us?" Penelope frowned.

"No, but I know people through Cramer. I'll let you know when I find out." Victoria left the conference room, her high ponytail swishing as she walked. Spencer watched her go for a moment before turning to the others.

"Until JJ gets here, there isn't much we can do." he reasoned.

"I can set up my laptop." Penelope replied. She left to go grab her things.

Rossi rubbed a hand over his face. "Hurry, Parker…"

…

Victoria sped to Cramer's office. She flashed her credentials to the receptionist. "This is urgent."

The receptionist frowned but allowed Victoria to pass, who barged into Cramer's office. He looked up from his computer. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Agent Parker?"

"You don't have another meeting for a few hours. One of our own has just been arrested. I need to know who I need to talk to in order to find out where he's being held." Victoria replied.

Cramer frowned. He rolled his eyes. "Maybe I stopped order your reports too soon."

"With all due respect, sir, now's not the time to judge my team. I'm one of them, so if you want reports on them, you'll have to get someone else." Victoria snapped.

Cramer eyed her for a moment. "I suspect you've been biased for a long time."

"We can argue about that later. Do you know who I need to talk to or not?"

"Andrew Castleborn. He's involved in internal affairs and agent protection. He could find out for you." Cramer replied, scribbling a note on a sheet of paper. He handed it to Victoria. He had written down Castleborn's office and phone number.

"Thank you, sir." Victoria replied, backing out of his office.

"Agent Parker?" Cramer called. Victoria paused. "You still need to work on your attitude. You can't be run into every office prepared to fight."

Victoria's lips twitched. "Sorry, sir. Old habits and all."

Cramer dipped his head and waved her off. She left and dialed Castleborn's number. On the third ring, he answered. "Castleborn."

"Mr. Castleborn, I'm SSA Victoria Parker with the BAU. One of my team has been arrested. Senator Cramer told me that you were the person to contact to find where my teammate is." Victoria said.

"What's your agent's name?"

"SSA Aaron Hotchner."

The line fell silent as Castleborn researched for a bit. He put her on hold to make another call. He picked up after a few minutes. "Agent Parker? I've found him."

…

Spencer looked over as Henry, Jack and JJ entered the conference room, followed by Will carrying baby Michael. "Uncle Spencer!" Henry called.

"Oh, hey Henry!" Spencer greeted, squatting to his godson's line of sight. He scooped him up in his arms. "How are you?"

"Good. Mom says we're going to hang out at the office today." Henry replied.

"Oh, that sounds super fun." said Penelope.

Spencer's eyes slid toward Jack, who looked at the table with a shadowed face. Spencer's heart clenched for Hotch's son. "Hey, Jack. Have you been practicing that magic trick I showed you?"

Jack glanced at Spencer, the corners of his mouth drawn. He looked toward JJ. "Can I go to my dad's office?"

JJ stroked Jack's hair. "Of course."

Will gestured for Henry to come with him. "We'll go find something to get into." He led the children out of the conference room. Spencer's stomach twisted for Jack. JJ grimaced.

"It's bad." she muttered.

"How much did he see?" Tara asked softly.

"All of it."

Spencer folded his arms. Rossi's phone beeped. He looked at the message. "Just got word from Parker… She found Hotch. He's downtown."

…

Victoria hurried into the conference room, where Garcia typed away while Spencer paced. Victoria sat in her usual seat. "What did I miss?" she huffed.

"I've gone through old conferences of Hotch's and have found that the 911 call placed to arrest Hotch was spliced. You'd have to be crazy good to do this." Garcia replied.

"JJ went to talk to Antonia Slade." Spencer added.

"And Rossi is trying to get to Hotch." Garcia stated.

"Slade?" Victoria queried, frowning. She recalled the female serial killer locked up from their most recent case.

"When Hotch went back to talk to her, she told him there was a storm coming, and he'd be swept away." Spencer answered.

"And this feels like a pretty big storm." said Garcia.

Victoria nodded. "What can I do?"

"We're just waiting for JJ to give us word about Antonia's son. The only reason Antonia said that to Hotch was because he mentioned her son." Spencer replied.

Victoria blew out a long breath through pursed lips. Spencer's phone rang after a few minutes. Judging from his short and affirmative reply, Victoria stood up. "Where are we going?"

Spencer looked at her. "Get your vest. We're going to Asher Slade's house."

"Be careful, guys." Garcia called as Victoria and Spencer left the conference room. Victoria strapped on her Kevlar and headed for the SUV while Spencer called for backup. JJ and Rossi would meet them at Asher's residence. Victoria stopped when Spencer grabbed her arm. She looked at him, her brow furrowed.

Spencer cupped her face. "Please be safe."

Victoria nodded. "You too."

Spencer nodded. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Get a room you two." Tara teased, climbing into the back seat. Victoria grinned and then hopped into the front seat. Spencer slid into the passenger seat, and Victoria sped off. Spencer leaned forward to switch on the sirens. "Can't speed without these on."

Victoria shot him an apologetic smile. "That's what I keep you around for."

"Remembering things?"

"And getting stuff off the top shelf."

Spencer laughed and shook his head. Victoria pulled up to Asher's residence, where SWAT waited. JJ and Rossi arrived shortly after. JJ took over the tactical plan with the SWAT captain. Victoria listened, gripping the collar of her vest. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and then pulled her gun out of its holster. She and Spencer took the back of the house. They checked the rooms, shouting "clear" when they found nothing. Victoria was very aware of the SWAT members with their large guns behind her. They entered a back room, where a man sat at a computer. He wore headphones.

"Asher Slade, turn around with your hands up!" barked one of the SWAT members.

Asher jumped and swiveled in his chair, taking off his headphones. His hands clenched around some objects. Several assault guns readied to fire. "Drop it!" yelled one of the SWAT members.

Victoria frowned at Asher's behavior. He shook his head and shrank back. "I-I can't!" he cried. Victoria's eyes flowed around the room, noticing the organized boxes. What caught her eye most were the perfectly lined up action figures on his shelf. It reminded her of when Jason was little, when he'd line up his toy cars in a perfectly squared formation.

"Drop it!"

"It'll break." Asher stammered.

"Weapons down!" Victoria snapped. She stepped forward, lowering her gun. "Asher, can you show us what's in your hand? If it's not dangerous, we'll let you keep it, okay?"

Asher frowned. "Why would it be dangerous?"

"Because we're with the police, and we have to be prepared for the worst." said Spencer, stepping forward and holstering his gun.

"You're not police. You're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You're Dr. Spencer Reid and you're SSA Victoria Parker," Asher stuttered, his neck reddening. Victoria and Spencer exchanged a glance. "I had to research you so I would know who to SWAT. I decided on Agent Aaron Hotchner because he's the team leader, obviously."

"Can you show us what's in your hands?" Victoria prompted.

Asher looked at her, but held out his hands. "Slowly!" barked a SWAT member. Asher obeyed, uncurling his fingers and revealing the items clenched in his fists. Victoria frowned at the objects, which looked like computer chips.

"They're forms of the E-9 chips, only mine are better." Asher murmured.

"Can you put them down so we can talk?" Spencer asked.

Asher nodded and set the chips down. Spencer withdrew a pair of handcuffs. "We have to handcuff you for your protection, okay?" Victoria murmured. Asher nodded, though he looked confused and flustered as Spencer cuffed him. Victoria felt a pang for the man. Spencer led Asher away so that they could talk. Victoria looked up when Rossi approached her.

"You handled that well." he praised.

Victoria smiled softly. "He's Autistic."

"How do you know?" Rossi frowned.

Victoria gestured to the aligned figures. "Jason used to do that. Still does."

Rossi nodded. He patted Victoria's shoulder. After several minutes, Tara, JJ, Rossi, Spencer and Victoria regrouped and called Garcia. "He gave me a name of the person who helped him. Garcia, what do you have on Eric Rawdon?" Spencer said into the speaker.

"If I can direct your attention to Rossi's phone, I will introduce you to Eric Rawdon. He has had multiple online chats with Asher, until he was arrested for criminal conspiracy." Garcia replied. Victoria glanced at Rossi's phone. A picture of a gaunt-looking man filled the screen.

"Conspiracy with who?" Rossi asked, pocketing his phone.

"It looks like a bunch of anarchists. Rawdon isn't exactly an anarchist himself but he did wanna make something go boom." Garcia replied.

"So he's charismatic and duplicitous… I mean he'd have to persuade a bunch of anarchists to rally around him." Tara speculated.

"What's the overlap with Hotch?" JJ asked.

"Long ago but not forgotten, Hotch wrote a profile on Rawdon that he delivered in court." Garcia answered.

"And this is revenge." Spencer muttered.

"No, we know it's bigger than that." Rossi disagreed.

"There's no way Rawdon could've pulled this off while in prison. Garcia, what's the last contact Rawdon had with Asher?" JJ said.

"Emails from last week… The IP addresses are from all over the state but none from Virginia Super Max Prison, where Rawdon currently resides." said Garcia.

"So someone else took over the account or multiple someone's, depending on who still supports Rawdon." Tara murmured.

"I may add word to the end of Tara's last sentence because whoever is sending these emails is hogwild over the last twelve hours… The message is always the same: 'The storm breaks tonight, get his bed ready.'" said Garcia.

"That's reminiscent of the emails of the 9/11 hijackers sent to each other weeks before the attack. Coded messages like 'the summer will surely be hot' was their way of saying the plan was set." said Spencer.

"Except this is 'the storm breaks tonight,'" Rossi muttered. His eyes widened. "He's planning a prison break."

Victoria exchanged a horrified glance with Spencer. Rossi exited to make a few phone calls, warning the Virginia Max Prison. He returned after several minutes. "We need to make our way to the prison." he said grimly.

…

Spencer listened more than talked with Warden Knab and the SWAT captain. They discussed their plan of attack, and ultimately decided that Rossi would stay with Warden and a squadron to catch any escaping prisoners, while Spencer, JJ, Tara and Victoria would go with the SWAT captain and a squad into the prison to find where the prisoners were escaping from. They needed to find Rawdon, too. The captain gathered a few troops and waved Spencer and the others to follow. Spencer withdrew his gun and shot a glance at Victoria. His chest clenched at the thought of her going in there. Yet, he wanted her at his side. He caught Victoria's gaze. Her lips twitched, but he caught her miniscule message: _I love you_. Spencer offered her a quirk of his lips in response. They turned their attention ahead to storm the prison.

"We got one!" called Tara ahead in the first block. Spencer was only a few feet behind, bringing up the rear in case a prisoner attacked. He'd rather get hurt than Victoria, JJ or Tara. The prisoner lied on the floor of his cell. Tara crouched beside him. "Where are the others? How are they getting out?"

The prisoner pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh…"

"Freeze!" JJ yelled, pointing her gun ahead, where a prisoner took off. Spencer followed the others as they ran toward C Block. The prisoner stopped and turned. He fired the gun in his hand, but missed. The SWAT guys gunned him down. JJ rushed to check the man's pulse. She shook her head, silently informing everyone that the man was dead. She stiffened. "Wait, be quiet!" she hissed. Everyone stilled. Spencer raised his eyebrows when he heard what sounded like footsteps within the wall. JJ turned to the others. "You got a flashlight?" One of the SWAT guys handed a flashlight to JJ. She crawled deeper within the cell, up under the bed. She glanced over her shoulder. "Captain, we've got a tunnel."

Tara turned away. "Rossi, we've got a tunnel in C Block along the sewer line on the east wall." she murmured into the speaker on her vest. They waited for several minutes before Rossi radioed in.

"We got 'em." he announced in the earpieces.

"Including Rawdon?" Tara asked, her voice echoing through the hall and earpieces.

"Negative." Rossi replied.

Spencer's shoulders slumped for a moment. He looked at Victoria, whose brow dipped with a slight scowl. The captain turned to two of the SWAT members. "Kershaw and Brink, you stay here in case more prisoners come back through. We should keep moving to the control room." he said.

"We should also sweep E Block. Rawdon could be holed up there." Spencer added.

"Captain, I'll stay on your six." Tara said.

"And I'll stay on yours." Victoria suggested. Tara nodded to Victoria, relief flickering across her features. Spencer's stomach twisted as he caught Victoria's eye. She mouthed an apology and followed Tara and the captain.

…

The captain paused outside a doorway, which led toward the control room. "It's gonna get hairy in there. They're not gonna give it up without a fight. I'll need you two to stay here."

"Copy that. We'll wait for your signal." Tara said. Victoria said nothing, her eyes flickering around the round room, which cells encircled. Unease prickled the skin around her shoulders and the bottom of her neck as she examined the prisoners in this ward, locked by themselves behind heavy doors. The prisoners stood at the doors, watching through the thick, glass windows. Several minutes passed.

"They're taking a long time." Victoria croaked, still glancing around every few seconds to make sure these prisoners were still locked in their cells.

Tara nodded in agreement. Victoria and Tara jumped when they heard a muffled bang on the captain's line of communication. Ice trickled into Victoria's stomach. Tara leaned toward the speaker attached to her vest. "Captain, do you copy?" Static replied.

Victoria leaned toward her speaker. "Captain?" she demanded. Again, static answered. She and Tara exchanged knowing looks.

"Dr. Lewis?" asked a voice.

Tara turned toward one of the cells. "Dennis? What're you doing here?" She walked toward a cell across the room. Victoria followed, not wanting to be alone, even if only on one side of the room.

"You should know," said the man in the cell that Tara inched toward, "they sent me here right after your interview with me. I don't appreciate my words being used against me, Tara."

Tara stopped just outside the door. "Dennis, I had nothing to do with that."

"Then why was I transferred?" Dennis argued. "It must be what they read in that report you wrote about me. They assumed that I'm like them."

"Who's them?" Tara asked.

"The worst of the worst," said Dennis. The hairs on Victoria's neck straightened as a smile fanned across Dennis's face. "Don't you know where you are?"

"The serial killer ward." Tara muttered. As she said it, the door leading out of the ward shut while the cell doors opened. Victoria's heart pounded. She withdrew her gun. All around the room, serial killers left their cells and inched toward Victoria and Tara. Victoria turned, placing her back against Tara's.

"Tara…" Victoria breathed.

"Dennis, don't." Tara said.

"I've dreamed of this, Tara. Dreamed of it." Dennis replied.

"I will shoot you." Tara warned.

"There's only one problem. You can't take us all." Dennis replied.

Victoria's heart raced as she eyed the serial killers surrounding Tara and her. She dared them with her eyes to attack. Finally, one charged just as Tara roared into her speaker, "JJ, Reid! Backup, now!"

Victoria shot the killer who charged at them. He fell to the floor in a spreading pool of blood. Dennis laughed. "Backup's not coming."

"Dennis, please." Tara begged.

"Are you trying to beg your way out of this?" Dennis sneered.

"I'm trying to save your life. Look behind you." Tara muttered.

Victoria frowned, bewildered. She glanced over her shoulder and her heart soared. Hotch led a team through the doorway into the ward. Several serial killers charged, but Hotch his squad gunned them down. The others held up their hands in surrender. Victoria lowered her gun and gasped. She holstered her gun. "Well, that was only mildly terrifying." she muttered.

Tara shot Victoria a breathless grin. Hotch placed a hand on Victoria's arm. "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah," Victoria said. "I feel like we should be asking you that."

"I am now." Hotch replied, nodding.

Victoria opened her mouth to answer, but flinched when she heard gunshots in the distance. She widened her eyes, meeting Tara's gaze as dread swam in the acids of her stomach. "That's Reid and JJ!" Tara breathed.

"Spence!" Victoria cried. She led Hotch, Tara and the SWAT team through the halls toward E Block, where Spencer and JJ ducked within the cells and shot at the prisoners firing at them. Victoria shot one in the back of the head while Hotch shot another. One of the prisoners threw something.

"Flash bang!" Hotch roared. Victoria ducked to the side. Her ears rang slightly when the damn thing went off, flashing light and smoke in the narrow hall. Hotch led the way inside while SWAT apprehended the rest of the rioters. Hotch turned one of the disguised prisoners over. It was Rawdon. "Where's the bomb?"

Rawdon smiled. "You'll never stop it in time. Boom!"

"Last time you assembled in one of three locations. You're too compulsive to deviate. Arlington, but they're looking for you there. Appomattox County's too far away. They're at the Ivy Tower." Hotch withdrew, whipping out his phone as Rawdon's face blanched.

"That's not true!" Rawdon roared, but the lie glistened on his teeth as he grimaced and leaned his back.

"What's the Ivy Tower?" Tara asked.

"A safe house for fundamentalist groups." JJ answered.

"Garcia, we got a location. I need you to get it to all available SWAT resources." Hotch ordered into his phone.

Victoria holstered her gun as SWAT arrested the prisoners. She looked at Spencer, who still seemed like he was catching his breath. He took her hand for a moment and squeezed it. She nodded to him and they followed Hotch, Tara and JJ out of the prison. They clambered into the SUVs and raced for the Ivy Tower. Victoria weaved her fingers through Spencer's in the backseat of the car as they sped along. Her heart still beat against her ribs as if it wielded a sledgehammer. The SUV swerved, halting at an angle to provide cover for the inevitable shootout. Victoria hopped out of the car. She stood behind a door, aiming her gun at the group hurrying out of the warehouse. A helicopter waited for takeoff, and a large group of Rawdon's supporters filtered out. When they saw the SWAT and FBI vehicles, they pulled out guns and started shooting. Victoria pulled her trigger several times, taking out two guys. But the two carrying the bomb made it to the helicopter, which floated into the air. Victoria and her team concentrated their fire on the chopper. Eventually, someone fired the million dollar shot and the chopper exploded in the air. Fire rained down, and Victoria shielded her eyes from the blast. After a few minutes, the blaze died down, leaving everyone in an eerie silence.

Victoria holstered her gun and turned toward Hotch. She hugged him, much to his bafflement. "Parker…"

"Shut up and be thankful that someone likes you enough to hug you." Victoria said. Hotch chuckled and returned the embrace. Victoria withdrew, smiling. "I'm glad you're okay."

Hotch smiled. "Me too. How's Jack?"

"Uh…" Victoria looked at JJ.

"He's upset," JJ murmured.

Hotch nodded, his smile vanishing. "Let's get back to the bullpen."

"Dinner at my house tomorrow night?" Rossi offered.

Victoria looked at him. "If you're cooking, hell yes."

Rossi grinned and kissed Victoria's cheek. "You flatter me, my girl."

Victoria turned to Spencer, who pulled her into a wordless embrace. Victoria breathed in his scent, which sweat muffled slightly. Victoria looked up at him. "You okay?"

"I was just worried about you." Spencer murmured.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" Victoria said, patting his chest. She withdrew, remembering protocol. Spencer let her go, remembering it himself. They left the Ivy Tower, which burned behind them.

…

Spencer hung his keys on the rack beside the door. He locked the door and kicked off his shoes. He turned to Victoria, who rubbed her temples. He gazed at her for a few moments before closing the distance between them with a hug. "Oof." Victoria yelped into Spencer's chest.

Spencer buried his face into the crook of Victoria's neck. "Sorry." he muttered, pulling back after a few moments.

"Want me to make some tea?" Victoria asked. "Or cocoa? Cocoa's always good."

Spencer shook his head. "Can we sit and talk for a moment?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

They sat on the couch, a blanket draped over them. Victoria placed her feet in Spencer's lap while he rested a hand on her leg. He gazed at her for several seconds. "What happened with Tara?"

Victoria looked away. "We were trapped in the serial killer wing when Rawdon released them from their cells. I guess Rawdon killed the captain and those other two SWAT guys when they went into the control room. The captain told us to stay behind… Tara knew one of the prisoners… Dennis. They talked, but… When they were released, they surrounded us. I… I could hardly move. I had my gun out and my back to Tara. My heart was beating so fast… Those serial killers were staring at us like a meal. I wanted to call for backup, but I couldn't move. I was watching those guys crowd around us. And then one ran at us. I shot him right as Tara called you and JJ for backup. Hotch came with a squadron and they either shot or arrested the remainder of the serial killers. Then we heard the gunshots and I knew you and JJ were in trouble. I led the way to E Block, praying that you were okay."

Spencer was quiet for several seconds. He cleared his throat. "We were on our way to help you when we saw them. We thought they were with us, because one of them was wearing the captain's uniform. Then they started shooting at us. We hid inside cells and shot at them, but we were outnumbered. I ran the probability of our survival and it didn't look good. I…" Spencer trailed off and looked away from Victoria. "I kept thinking that I might not get to marry you."

Victoria moved and crawled toward Spencer. She placed a tender kiss on his lips. "Well, we're both okay. I'm sorry I went with Tara instead of staying with you. I just knew that I'd be less distracted if I weren't with you. I get so worried about you out in the field, and I know you'd be upset if I got hurt because I was too busy worrying about you. I know I would be if it happened to you."

Spencer looked at her and smiled softly. He tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from Victoria's ponytail behind her ear. "If I die, I want you to have all my books."

Victoria's brow wrinkled, but her eyes sparkled in amusement. "That's one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me," she said. "But don't die though. I like you."

Spencer grinned. "I like you, too." Victoria relaxed, lying on top of him. Spencer held her close, stroking the hair of her ponytail until his movements slowed and he dissolved into sleep.

They awoke late the next morning. Victoria dressed in a pair of ratty jeans and rolled the hems up. She pulled on a pair of Converses and an old sweater. Spencer admired her messy ponytail and minimal makeup. She looked so cute. He wore a flannel and a pair of jeans. He slipped on some Converses and followed Victoria, who drove her car, to her house. They spent the day packing things of hers into boxes and cleaning the house. Victoria paused every now and then to reminisce. She stopped to examine a framed photograph of her brothers and her. She stood in the middle, her arms around them and a wide smile on her face. Spencer peered over her shoulder at the picture and smiled. He caught the sad smile on her face and kissed her cheek.

"Put it in the box to take to my apartment." he said.

Victoria looked at him, the apples of her cheeks popping. "Yeah. I was going to." She set it into the box. Spencer paused in his packing when he noticed Victoria staring into space.

"You okay?"

Victoria looked around. "Yeah. I've just lived here for the longest time… It's weird."

Spencer stepped toward her. He placed a hand on her neck, thumbing her jawline. "A good weird?"

"Yeah." Victoria smiled. She lowered her gaze. "I try not to think about Korey, or talk about him, but…" She looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Thank you."

Spencer frowned. "You don't need to thank me."

"You got me out of that. And you're getting me out of here."

Spencer furrowed his brow. "Victoria, you're moving in with me. We're getting married. You don't need to thank me."

Victoria rested her head against his chest. "I'm glad I found you."

Spencer wrapped his arms around her and nestled his face in the crook of her neck. "Me too."

They loaded Victoria's car with a few boxes of her things and drove back into town, where they stopped for lunch at a small café. Spencer and Victoria waited at small table by the window, arguing over the new Star Wars villain, Kylo Ren. "I think he's going to be redeemed." Victoria stated.

"Yeah, but does he really deserve redemption?" Spencer retorted.

"If he deserved redemption, he wouldn't need it, ya dingbat." Victoria said, sipping from her Dr. Pepper.

Spencer laughed. "Touche." He glanced up when an older couple stood by their table. The woman held out a hand.

"Sorry to bother you, but… Victoria, is that you?" the woman turned her attention to Victoria, who looked up and paled.

"Mrs. Langston." she breathed. Spencer's stomach jerked and he straightened. He reached for Victoria's hand across the table. He ran his thumb over her knuckles. Korey's mother eyed him for a moment.

"I won't bother you for long," said Mrs. Langston, "I just wanted to say… I'm so sorry for what my son did to you. I… I don't know where I went wrong with him, and I can't help but feel responsible for what he did. I'm sorry, Victoria."

Spencer could see Victoria trembling. He squeezed her hand. She gaped at Mrs. Langston for a moment. "I… I…" Victoria swallowed. "It wasn't your fault."

Mrs. Langston's eyes filled with tears. "Well, you seem happy now."

"I am. Thank you."

Mrs. Langston nodded. "Have a nice day, Victoria."

"You too." Victoria breathed. The woman and her wordless husband left. Victoria looked at Spencer, a dazed look in her eyes.

Spencer leaned forward. "You okay?"

Victoria blinked. A tear dripped down her cheek. "Actually… Yeah. I'm okay."

…

Victoria laughed, watching Spencer pull a strand of colorful bandanas from behind Garcia's ear. He rolled around on the ground while Jack and Henry laughed. Victoria giggled beside Penelope. The boys left after a few more magic tricks to watch movies while Victoria sat with the team and ate dinner. They swapped stories about high school and college, about dumb pranks and stunts they tried and the new movies in theatres.

"V, when are we doing more wedding stuff?" Penelope whined.

Victoria swallowed a mouthful of wine. "Well, you and I planned out that trip to New Orleans a few days ago. That's the first item on the agenda. But… That does remind me… I need to ask Hotch and Rossi something."

"Uh oh," Rossi chuckled. Hotch grinned.

Victoria straightened in her seat. "Both of you have been huge influences on my life. And all of you are my family, so I want all of you involved in the wedding. I'm not inviting my father to the wedding," Victoria said. "Which means I need someone to give me away and someone to dance with me." Rossi and Hotch's humor faded. Their eyes sparkled as soft smiles touched their lips. Victoria inhaled. "Hotch, would you walk me down the aisle?"

Hotch looked at the table and smiled, his cheeks turning pink. He looked up, his eyes misty. "Yes, of course."

Victoria beamed and looked at Rossi. "Rossi, will you dance with me for the father-daughter dance?"

Rossi smiled. "Of course, kiddo," he said softly. "You'll need an Italian to teach you to dance properly, anyway."

Victoria laughed. Her amusement faded when Garcia and Hotch's phones went off. They exchanged grim glances. They stood, gesturing for the team to do the same. Victoria took Spencer's hand as they entered the house, where Rossi closed them in a private room.

"We just got word of three more prison breaks in three different states, all organized by Rawdon's partners from his last bombing attempt." Hotch said.

"The local field office got a head start because of what we did and were able to stop the bomb threat, but they…" Garcia trailed off.

"Who didn't they catch?" Rossi asked.

"All have serial killer wings like Virginia Max." Hotch muttered.

Victoria's heart sank. Tara sighed. "Let me guess, they were released first to cause maximum chaos and to deal with law enforcement." she said.

"A lot of them were killed or recaptured, but not all of them." Penelope confirmed.

"How many got away?" JJ asked.

"As of right now, thirteen serial killers. One of which is Peter Louis." Penelope replied.

Victoria frowned. She looked to Spencer, who stared at Hotch, his lips parting in horror. "Mr. Scratch," Spencer muttered. "That's why he testified against you. He was part of their plan all along."

Hotch nodded. "So we have to catch him again. Along with all the other murderers."

 **…**

 **I am officially done with Season 11! I am seriously loving Season 12… I won't spoil anything for those of you haven't seen it. I'm trying to stay away from Tumblr because there are a lot of negative Nellies on that site. Anyway, I'm gonna throw in a super fluffy chapter or two before I move onto S12. Also, as I've said before, if any romance is given to Spencer (IDK that there will be, but ya never know) in the show, I will work around it to keep Victoria in. I was able to give Spencer Maeve, but that was before Victoria and he got together. Now that they are, if there is a romance in the show, obviously I will veer from the canon to fit in Parker. Anyway, now that my rant is done, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	50. Chapter 50

**_Wedding Details_**

Victoria rushed into the bathroom and grabbed her travel bag. She dumped her makeup into it and zipped it up before hurrying back into the bedroom to drop the bag into her suitcase. She zipped it shut and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Spencer stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Ready?"

Victoria nodded and hauled the suitcase off the bed. "Yep."

Spencer reached out his hand as Victoria rolled the suitcase forward. He took it from her. Victoria kissed his cheek in thanks. Spencer beamed in response. They left the apartment and packed the trunk of Spencer's car with Victoria's suitcase. Victoria hopped into the front seat while Spencer slid into the driver's side. He pulled out of the parking lot and hit the Interstate. Spencer drove around the airport grounds until he found a place to drop Victoria off. Victoria jumped out of the car, but Spencer beat her to the trunk. He withdrew her suitcase. "Are the others here yet?" he asked, looking around.

Victoria checked her phone. "Yeah, Penelope said that she and Tara are inside. JJ should be here any minute."

Spencer nodded. He bounced on the balls of his feet. "Don't forget to print off your ticket. Keep them both on you, because you have that connecting flight in Atlanta."

"Spence."

"And keep your phone charged. You might want to keep some cash on you, but not in your purse, because that can get stolen easily."

"Spencer, I've flown before. I've traveled before."

Spencer's cheeks puffed as he blew out a breath. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "Sorry."

Victoria smiled. "It's okay. I'm used to your rambling," she said. She reached up and kissed his cheek. "And I kind of like it."

Spencer grinned. "Well, I hope so. You live with me and you're going to be my wife." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Are you going to introduce me as your wife all of the time?" Victoria teased.

Spencer furrowed his brow and smirked. "Of course. When you are."

"Well, I'm going to be by the end of this year."

Spencer smiled and ducked his head down. He pressed his lips to Victoria's, whose fingers played with his hair. Spencer broke off the kiss, much to Victoria's disappointment. "You've got a plane to catch."

Victoria nodded. "And a wedding dress to find." Spencer kissed Victoria's lips and cheeks before she pulled away, laughing. "I'm gonna miss my flight if you keep kissing me."

"Well, then you'd stay here with me." Spencer protested.

"I've gotta go. I love you."

"I love you, too." Spencer waved as Victoria hurried off, trailing her suitcase behind her. She hurried into the airport. She looked around, a little dazed by the amount of people.

"Victoria! Over here!" called Penelope. Victoria caught sight of her and Tara waving her over. Victoria jogged over to them, grinning. Penelope wrapped her into a hug. "I'm so excited for this, oh my gosh."

Victoria grinned. "Me too. I'm sad Savannah couldn't come, but we're all gonna have a blast."

"And not to mention find your dream dress." Tara said, smiling.

Victoria returned it. "That, too."

"So, Alice and your mom are meeting us in New Orleans?" Penelope asked.

"Yeah, they'll probably get there around the same time as us, so they'll just meet us at the hotel." Victoria said as she walked to the kiosk. She printed her tickets and stepped in line to board her luggage.

"Where are we staying again?" Tara asked, stepping forward as the line shortened. She looked back, keeping an eye out for JJ.

"The Westin. It's only a few blocks away from Bourbon Street." Victoria reached the front.

"Oh, there's JJ!" Penelope said. She waved at JJ, who waved back and went to the kiosk to print her tickets. When she finished, she joined them in line. After dropping off their luggage, they headed for security.

Victoria stripped of her shoes, phone and purse. She dropped them in the box and waited to step through the full-body scanner. "Step forward ma'am." said the security guard, waving Victoria forward. She stepped inside the machine. "Hands above your head and hold still." Victoria obeyed as the machine whirred and spun around her. She felt a little silly, but the process finished in under five seconds. She stepped out and retrieved her belongings. She slipped on her sneakers while she waited for Penelope, Tara and JJ to step through the machine.

JJ made a face as she joined Victoria and the others to put on her shoes and jacket. "I forgot how much of a pain security is. I'm so used to flying on the jet."

Victoria shrugged. "I don't mind it. It's actually kind of exciting."

Penelope smiled. "I totally get that. Because this is for pleasure, not business. What gate are we?"

"Seventeen. We have an hour to get over there." said Tara, checking her ticket.

"If there's a vending machine near the gate, I want to get some Cheetos. I'm starving." JJ said.

Victoria nodded as her own stomach grumbled. "I feel ya."

They found their gate and dropped off their carry-ons. Penelope and Tara saved a few seats while JJ and Victoria ventured off for food. They discovered a McDonald's, where JJ opted for fries in place of her Cheetos. Victoria bought fries and sodas for everyone. JJ nibbled on a fry while Victoria worked on filling the cups with ice and Dr. Pepper.

"I'm really happy for you and Spence." JJ said after a moment.

Victoria looked at her. "Thank you. It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

JJ pulled a face. "Why?"

"Because you and Spence are close. You're best friends, and your opinion matters to him."

"You guys are best friends, too."

"But you were friends first."

JJ smiled. "Yeah. Well, you and I are friends."

"Duh. You're a bridesmaid."

"So of course you have my approval. And that's why I said I'm happy for both of you."

"I know," Victoria pursed her lips into a shy smile. "Thank you."

"No problem," said JJ. "Is it weird living together?"

"Not really," Victoria said, handing JJ the cup tray, full of soda. Victoria grabbed the fries. "I mean, we've lived together before. And we're not prudes. We've shared a bed before. And sometimes we have little arguments, like when he leaves his books out and I trip over them in the middle of the night."

JJ laughed. "I'm not even surprised."

"It's happened three times now! He's left a stack of books out on the floor, and I got up to get some water or something, and I've tripped over them. Last time I managed not to fall, but the first couple of times, I fell flat on my face. Spence jumped out of bed because he thought someone had broken in, but nope. I was just swearing on the floor." Victoria giggled as she reached the others. She divvied out the fries to Tara, Penelope, JJ and herself. They ate while they chatted about the new Fifty Shades movie coming out the next year.

"I've never read the books." said Tara.

"Me neither." Victoria mumbled, sipping from her Dr. Pepper.

"Ugh, they're so good! Well, maybe not fantastic, but they're damn sexy!" Penelope groaned, placing her hands over her heart.

Victoria grimaced. "I don't think wealth equalizes controlling behavior."

"I meant the sex, silly," said Penelope. She grinned. "But I doubt you and Reid do that sort of thing in the bedroom."

Victoria felt her cheeks burn as JJ and Tara laughed. "They probably sit on opposite sides of the couch." JJ chuckled.

Victoria gaped at her friends. "We do not! Just because we're not having sex yet doesn't mean that we don't… That we don't do other things."

"Ooh, what sort of things?" Penelope cooed.

Victoria looked around. "Not here, okay?"

JJ buried her face in her hands. "That's okay, I don't want that mental image of Spence."

Victoria smirked. "I do."

"Oh my gosh, shut up!" Penelope giggled, smacking Victoria playfully.

"Now boarding Group A." called the flight attendant.

"What group are we?" Penelope asked.

"Uh, B." said Tara, looking at her ticket.

Penelope gathered up their trash and tossed it in a nearby trashcan. Victoria stood and shouldered her backpack. She texted Spencer quickly.

 _Boarding now. I'll let you know when we land. I love you to Pluto and back!_

Her phone buzzed with a response as she waited for the attendant to call for Group B. She checked the message from Spencer.

 _Okay, have a safe flight. I love you too, but Pluto is not even a planet._

Victoria smiled but typed an angry response.

 _SHUT THE FUCK UP!_

"Group B may board now."

Victoria stepped in line. She felt her phone vibrate. While she waited for the family in front of her to scan their tickets, she checked the message from Spencer.

 _Pluto is a wonderful dwarf planet! It's even got a heart on its surface. I love you to Pluto and back, too._

He had sent a picture of Pluto along with the text. Victoria smiled as she looked at it. She slipped her phone away as she scanned her ticket and hurried onto the boarding ramp. She grinned because she loved the sound of the plane's high-pitched hum outside. She turned when Penelope squealed behind her. "I'm so excited!"

They found their seats, with Victoria by the window and Penelope on the aisle. JJ sat across the aisle while Tara sat by the other window. Victoria leaned into Penelope to take a picture for Snapchat. She posted it on her story. She and Penelope discussed wedding dresses for takeoff, but once the plane was airborne, Penelope's excited chatter ebbed as she fell asleep. Victoria lifted the shade of the window and took a picture of the clouds. She closed it and then put on her headphones. She leaned against the wall of the plane, feeling the hum of its engine and dozed off. She awoke when she felt a swooping sensation in her stomach. She looked around groggily. She felt the plane's descent and buckled her seatbelt. When they landed at the Atlanta Airport, Victoria sent a text to Spencer letting him know. She grabbed her backpack and purse and followed the crowd off the plane.

"Oh shit," Tara muttered, glowering at her ticket.

"What?" Victoria asked, turning.

"The ticket doesn't have our gate and our next flight is in twenty minutes."

JJ hurried to the nearest help desk. "Sir, where do we go for this flight?" She asked, showing the man her ticket.

The man studied the ticket through his thick glasses for a long time. "Let's see…" He typed away on his computer. "Ah, the flight to New Orleans… Yes, you're in Terminal One, and you need to be in Terminal Three."

"Oh, that's not too far, then." said Penelope.

"It's across the airport." said the man.

"Say what?" Penelope breathed.

Victoria felt a grin cross her cheeks. She ran a hand through her hair. The man looked at the computer. "Yes, you're near Concourse D. I'd take the train to Concourse A. You're in Gate 23."

"This would make for a great Snapchat." said Penelope.

Victoria pulled out her phone and started recording from her camera roll. "So… We need to run."

"Yep." JJ replied. She thanked the man and then they took off. Victoria laughed as she ran, her Converses beating the shiny floor. JJ fleeted out front, her ponytail zigzagging with the bounce of her shoulders. Tara ran alongside Victoria, who slowed every now and then to allow Penelope to catch up, who shuffled along in her sparkly silver UGGs. Victoria's side cramped and the laughter in her throat winded her, but they reached the airport train at last.

"Hurry!" Tara cried, jumping onto the train after JJ. Victoria and Penelope followed, just as the doors slid shut. Victoria doubled over, laughing. Tara joined in, and soon the four of them giggled until tears leaked out of their eyes. Penelope grabbed Victoria's phone.

"Adventures at the airport!" she cried. She sent the video to herself and to Spencer. "He said to keep you updated."

Victoria took her phone back. She grabbed onto a pole to keep from falling over as the train slammed to a stop. She stumbled backward as the train surged forward. She waited until they arrived at their concourse, and then they took off again, sprinting past restaurants and bathrooms and hordes of people to get to their gate. They made it with just a few minutes to spare, doubled over, panting and holding onto each other as their sides cramped from running and laughing. They boarded the plane, still red-faced from their sprint. Victoria took a selfie for Snapchat with Tara and then leaned her head back for a nap.

…

Spencer did not know how Penelope had convinced Rossi and him to get a Snapchat, but the eccentric techie had succeeded. Spencer suspected Rossi had only agreed to get Penelope to shut up about it. Spencer was indifferent towards it, but he did enjoy the pictures from the team. It was a good way to keep in contact with Derek, too.

"It's nice to have just the guys over," said David, raising his wine glass.

Spencer lifted his glass. "Thanks for inviting us over."

Derek grinned. "And I'm honored to be best man… Which also means that I get to plan Pretty Boy's bachelor party."

Spencer smiled and shook his head. "I don't know whether to be excited or mortified."

"Aw, c'mon man. Trust me!" Derek chuckled, clapping Spencer on the back.

"And I'd be happy to be a groomsman. Who else are you going to ask?" Rossi said, propping his elbows on the counter.

"How many more groomsmen do you need?" Derek asked, sipping from his beer.

"Three," replied Spencer. "I'm going to ask Jason, Seth and Brett."

"They'd love that." said Hotch, smiling.

"I can't believe you guys are getting married," said Derek, shaking his head. "I mean I can. You guys are great, and you'll love each other forever. But remember when Pretty Boy here looked fourteen years old?"

Spencer felt his cheeks burn. "I will be forever grateful that Victoria and I didn't know each other then."

"Ah, c'mon. She loves you, man."

"She might not have back then." Spencer joked.

"Don't sell yourself short. You made out with that actress in the pool." Derek raised his eyebrows at Spencer before finishing off his beer.

Spencer smirked. "Yeah, I-I did."

"Does Victoria know about that?" Hotch asked.

"I didn't even know about that." Rossi protested, grabbing Derek another beer.

"I've never really seen a need to tell her." Spencer said.

"Did you keep in touch with that girl? What was her name? Lila Archer." Derek cracked open the beer that Rossi handed him.

"We talked some, but… No, not really." Spencer shrugged.

Derek's phone chirped. He looked at it. "Uh-oh," he said. "Snapchat from Penelope." He laughed. Rossi, Hotch and Spencer gathered around to look at Penelope's Snapchats. There were several goofy selfies, one with Penelope and each of the other girls. There was one picture of Victoria asleep on the plane while JJ made a face by her. There was a video.

Penelope's face came into view. "We've arrived in New Orleans!" She panned the camera. JJ waved and Tara saluted. Victoria winked and then laughed.

The next video showed the girls in the back of a taxi cab with the caption: "Cab rides are sooooooo awkward!"

The next video showed the girls in the hotel room, with Alice and Gemma now in the picture. "So, we'll go to dinner tonight and dress shop tomorrow. Tomorrow night we'll hit Bourbon Street." Gemma said. The camera flipped to Penelope who nodded her approval.

"They look like they're having a blast." said Rossi, smiling.

"Yeah, Savannah was disappointed she couldn't go." Derek said, pocketing his phone.

Spencer circled the counter, smiling. "I just wish I could see the dress."

"She's not gonna let you?" Derek asked.

Spencer shook his head. "She said that I can see the dress on October twenty-fifth."

Derek grinned. "But I'll get to see it."

Spencer scrunched his lips to one side. "Yeah, but I get to marry the girl."

"Hey, hey," Derek raised his hands, "I've already got my girl."

…

Victoria stepped into the bridal boutique. It was the fifth one they had visited that day. So far, there were a few dresses that Victoria really liked. But she wasn't ready to make any decisions. She looked around for a few moments before a very petite woman with short brown hair and a clipboard spotted her.

"Hi, can I help you?" she asked, her heels clacking against the hardwood floor.

"Yeah, I have an appointment for three o'clock." Victoria said.

"Okay, what's the name?" asked the woman, looking at her clipboard.

"Victoria Parker."

"Okay, great," said the woman. "I'm Caroline. Can I ask you a few questions before we get started?"

"Sure."

"When's the wedding?"

"October twenty-fifth."

"This October?"

"Yes."

"Okay," said Caroline, frowning slightly as she scribbled down a note. "And the groom's name?"

"Spencer Reid." Victoria replied. "Oh, that's R-E-I-D."

"Okay, great," said Caroline. "And who's with you today?"

"My mom, maid of honor, sister and bridesmaids."

"Fun stuff," said Caroline, smiling. "Do you know what styles you like?"

"Not a fan of mermaid, but I'm okay with fit and flare. Um… I like beading, lace, tulle… I like sleeves, but I'm really laid back." said Victoria, shrugging slightly.

"Okay, that's fine," Caroline replied. "Now, I will pull some styles off that fit that description, but you and your group are welcome to look around and whatever you pull I can put in the dressing room for you." Caroline led them to one end of the shop, where a large curtain sectioned off a mirrored dressing room. It also had pedestal in the middle of it. Victoria looked around with the others for a while before pulling out a few dresses. When she was ready, she waved to Caroline, who walked across to them. "Okay, you guys can have a seat and I'll help Victoria get ready." Victoria shot her friends a look before disappearing behind the curtain with Caroline. Victoria had dressed and undressed so much that day that she had lost any shyness she had. She stripped for Caroline, who helped her get into the first dress. It was heavily beaded and strapless. Caroline drew back the curtain as Victoria stepped onto the pedestal.

"Ooh," JJ said, eyeing the dress with gleaming eyes. "I like this one. I like it better than that one from the other shop."

"Yeah, but I don't know if it really screams Victoria, though." said Penelope, frowning.

"I agree. It's pretty, and you look fantastic in it, but you're… You're whimsical." said Tara.

Victoria laughed. "Whimsical?"

"Next?" Caroline guessed, smiling.

"Next." Victoria agreed. She went through the next few dresses. She really liked an all lace gown, but she still felt like she could keep looking. They were down to the last two dresses when Victoria tried on her favorite. The top was lace with quarter sleeves. The V-neckline ran toward her breasts but remained modest. The waist cinched in before flaring out into tulle. It wasn't too poufy or too fitted. It was whimsical. When Caroline pulled back the curtain, everyone gasped.

"Oh, V…" Penelope breathed.

"It looks really pretty with the belt," said Caroline, tying a grayish lavender belt around Victoria's waist. The front of the belt was adorned with beading, adding just the right amount of sparkle to the gown.

"I vote yes." JJ said.

"Yes!" Penelope squeaked.

"Hell yeah." said Tara, nodding.

"Mom? Alice?" Victoria turned to her family.

Gemma had tears in her eyes. "I wish Nana could be here."

Victoria's shoulders slumped and she nodded. "Me too."

Gemma wiped her eyes. "You look so beautiful. I could see you getting married in this."

Alice nodded. "No one will forget this dress."

"Do you think Spence would like it?" Victoria asked, looking down at it.

"Victoria, you could walk down the aisle in a paper bag, and Spence would still think you're beautiful." JJ assured her.

"Yeah, Reid doesn't care. But yes, I'm sure his jaw will drop when you walk down the aisle in this." said Penelope.

"It's very beautiful," agreed Tara.

Victoria beamed. "I think I'm done looking for wedding dresses."

…

The next several months passed with a flurry of activity. Victoria met with caterers, decorators, florists, bakers, venues and jewelers. When she wasn't hunting down some of the escaped serial killers, she was working on the wedding. She was exhausted, but while October approached, her excitement heightened. The wedding was only a month away when Penelope approached Victoria.

"I think you should do a boudoir shoot." she said.

Victoria blushed. "I've always wanted to do one." she admitted.

"Ugh, they're so much fun. And it's so sexy. You and Reid haven't dirtied the sheets yet, so just give him a photo album of your boudoir shoot and he'll need a really cold shower." said Penelope with a wink.

Victoria buried her face in her hands. "I don't know… Is that weird?"

JJ pulled up a chair. "It's not weird at all," she said. "You and Spence are about to know each other in a new, physical way. And it's a really sexy gift. But it's also personal. He'll love it."

"You should do it," said Tara, scooting her chair closer.

Victoria laughed. "Yeah, we don't look like we're conspiring anything at all."

"It'll make you feel amazing, too." said Penelope. "I know you struggle with that some."

Victoria's cheeks burned. "Yeah, but…"

"He's gonna see you naked eventually. And in lingerie, if he's lucky." said Penelope.

JJ snorted. "Sorry. My inner twelve year old has made an appearance."

"Okay, okay, okay! I'll do it!" Victoria caved.

"Do what?" Spencer asked, walking over with a mug of coffee.

Victoria, Tara and JJ pushed back with their chairs so that they rolled back to their desks in one, solid movement. Penelope yelped and scuttled to her office. Spencer watched her with a bewildered expression. He looked at Victoria with a raised brow. Victoria exaggerated her frown and shrugged. Spencer's eyebrows shot up, but the beginnings of a smile touched his lips.

"I cannot wait for your bachelorette party this weekend." JJ said.

Spencer sat at his desk and caught Victoria's eye. He grinned and smoothed down his tie. They resumed their work. Victoria bounced in her seat, remembering the weekend trip she had planned with her bridesmaids –a weekend getaway at Universal Studios. Spencer and his groomsmen were heading to New York City for the weekend. Victoria checked her phone when Penelope texted her.

 _Made you an appointment! A friend of mine does boudoir shoots. She's really fun!_

Victoria glanced over at Spencer, who frowned as he focused on some paperwork. She bit her lip and texted Penelope back: _Great, thank you! Um… Could you possibly go with me? I'm really nervous about this._

 _Sure thing, sweet cheeks! I think you'll have fun. I know u get self-conscious, but u really shouldn't._

 _Easier said than done._

 _I know, boo. But u sexy! And Reid thinks so too. The boudoir shoot helps u feel good about urself. It's not just for Reid, it for u, too!_

 _Thank you, Pen. When's the appointment for?_

 _Tonight at 7. That ok?_

 _Yeah, I don't have anything planned. LMAO when do I ever?_

 _We'll need to go by ur apartment for lingerie from ur lingerie shower a few weeks ago._

 _Okay, we can do that. I hid it from Spence._

Victoria leaned toward Spencer's desk. "I'm going over to Penelope's for a while tonight."

Spencer looked up and frowned. "Oh, okay."

Victoria pursed her lips, catching onto his disappointment. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I was just hoping that we could… Since we're both going out of town this weekend, I was thinking that we could hang out." Spencer said, shrugging slightly.

Victoria's heart sank. "I won't be at Penelope's too late. And we have tomorrow night."

Spencer brightened slightly. "Yeah. We can actually go out this time."

Victoria grinned. "Ooh, the romance." She turned back to her work, but her stomach kept flopping. Her nervousness for that night plagued her until the workday ended. When it did, she grabbed her things and hurried to meet Penelope. They scurried to Victoria's car. "We have to beat Spence home." Victoria said as they sped toward the apartment. She hopped out of the car and skipped the steps two at a time until she reached the door. She let herself in and hurried to the guest room closet, where she found a bag full of lingerie, which she hid from Spencer. She hurried out of the apartment and locked it. She then sprinted down the stairs, only to run smack into Spencer himself at the bottom.

"Victoria? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Penelope's?" Spencer said, steadying Victoria as she wobbled from the impact.

"I, uh, had to grab something. But I gotta go. Love you, bye!" Victoria planted a hasty kiss on Spencer's lips, who blinked in bewilderment as Victoria raced out the door. She hopped into her car and sped off. "Where am I going?"

…

Spencer furrowed his brow, watching Victoria peel out of the apartment parking lot. He blinked and headed upstairs to the apartment. He entered it and hung his keys on the rack. He ran a hand through his hair and huffed. He crossed the living room to the bookshelf to grab one of the new books he had recently bought. He opened it, smiling at the crackling of the book's spine. He sat down and began to read. He finished the book after several minutes. His phone rang a few minutes after finishing the book. He smiled when he saw Derek's call sign.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Derek said.

"Uh, not much. Just read a book while waiting for Victoria to get back from Penelope's."

"What's she doing at Penelope's?"

"I don't know," Spencer said, walking around. "She's being really secretive about it."

"Well, knowing Baby Girl, it's nothing too bad. Well…"

Spencer smirked. "Yeah, not helping."

"Wanna grab a bite to eat?"

Spencer grinned. "Sure."

They met at a Taco Bell. Spencer ordered and took a seat. Derek entered after a few moments. He ordered and joined Spencer. "So, I talked to Penelope," Derek said. He unwrapped his burrito.

"And?" Spencer asked, pausing before biting into his Dorito Taco.

"You don't need to worry about Parker. They're just watching a movie."

Spencer frowned, noticing the catch in Morgan's tone and the glimmer in his eyes. "You're lying."

Derek grinned. "Look, I promised I wouldn't tell. It has to do with the wedding."

Spencer shrugged. "Why didn't they just say that?"

"I don't know, man." Derek smirked. Spencer sighed.

"You're really not going to tell me?"

"My lips are sealed."

Spencer rolled his eyes, but grinned. "So, for New York, no strippers."

"Victoria won't let you?"

"No, I don't want any."

Derek's grin widened. "Don't worry, we can have fun without strippers."

…

October arrived, bringing with it cooler weather and golden leaves. Victoria rushed to tie up last details for the wedding before catching a flight to Florida with her bridesmaids for her bachelorette party. They checked into the Portofino Hotel on the campus of Universal Studios. Victoria wore a small backpack with money and a sweater. She and her bridesmaids spent the day riding rides. The next day, as part of a package deal for wedding parties, the girls were treated to a spa day. They danced at a bar on the City Walk. The next morning, they slept in and then returned to the amusement park. Night soon blanketed the park, but it remained open until later, so Victoria, JJ, Penelope and Tara stayed in the park. Alice and Savannah returned to the hotel for rest.

"Uh, I'm beat." JJ muttered, checking her watch. The time read ten o'clock. The park closed at ten-thirty.

"One more ride?" Tara suggested, gesturing to the Dragon Challenge ride. The rollercoaster looped and dropped and rolled, and Victoria loved it.

"Yes!" Victoria cried.

"Hell yeah!" Penelope high-fived Victoria, though she seemed exhausted. Victoria's own feet ached to the very bones, but she wanted to enjoy one last ride. They rushed through the line, where Victoria jumped into the front row line. They boarded the next cart. Victoria buckled herself in.

"Oh, Victoria is extra safe, she's got two buckles." Tara said.

Victoria looked at her harness. "Actually, I'm wondering what's wrong with this one that I need two."

Tara laughed. Victoria clenched the handles at the cart accelerated up the track and then down the first drop. Her stomach swooped and she screamed as the ride flipped upside down, plastering her to the seat. Her stomach lurched as the cart barrel-rolled. Too soon, the ride was over.

"I could use some wine." JJ said.

"Mhm. And pizza." Tara agreed.

"I could use a shower and a ten year nap." Victoria muttered.

Tara snorted. "That's quite a long nap."

"Yeah, I'll miss my wedding but at least I'll be refreshed." Victoria joked. Penelope giggled and threw her arm around Victoria's shoulders.

"I love you, V. And I'm so happy that you and Reid are getting married. You guys totally deserve this." she said.

JJ looked over her shoulder. "Yeah. Spence has gone through so much. I'm ready to see him happy."

"Victoria's been through some shit." said Penelope. "But yeah, Boy Wonder's definitely had some terrible ordeals."

Victoria glanced at her shoes. "Hopefully I've helped with the bad stuff he's been through."

"You have," JJ said, slowing to match Victoria's pace, "He's really happy with you. It'll take a lot of work, especially with our job, but the two of you will be one of those couples who grow old together."

"And you'll need each other, especially because of our job." added Tara.

"I'm glad that we're a family," said Penelope, her eyes twinkling, "otherwise it would make what we do so much harder."

"Amen to that." said JJ.

"Well, enough with the heavy stuff. Let's go watch a chick flick." Penelope sang.

"After I shower," Victoria protested. "I smell like a New Orleans storm drain."

JJ and Tara laughed while Penelope wrinkled her nose and feigned vomiting. They walked to their hotel. Victoria took a shower and dressed in her pajamas before slipping into JJ, Tara and Savannah's room, where Penelope and Alice waited, too. Penelope was sprawled on one of the beds, her feet swinging while she laid on her stomach and looked at her phone.

"Oh Lord," Penelope laughed, "Derek posted stuff on Snapchat."

Victoria jumped onto the bed beside her and looked at the phone. The others gathered around while Penelope played Derek's Snapchat story.

The first was just a picture of Spencer, Derek, David, Aaron and Brett. Victoria smiled at the wide grin on Spencer's face. The Times Square glowed in the background. The next several pictures showed Spencer at the Natural History Museum. The captions read: _Pretty Boy nerding out, Pretty Boy in his natural habitat, Look at this geek_. Spencer stood in front of a large dinosaur fossil exhibit. His jaw hung open as he spread his arms. The femur of the dinosaur was larger than Spencer. The next Snap was a video.

The camera panned upward to reveal a marquee sign: _The Book of Mormon_. Derek turned the camera to himself. "Broadway, hell yeah!"

The next video showed the men all at dinner. Brett caught sight of the camera and exaggerated a wink as Spencer rambled in the background. The next few videos panned around a club. Victoria's lips spread with a smile with each video, watching Spencer drink and dance.

The last video showed Spencer slurring some fact about bars in New York City. "Pretty Boy, you got a message for your Pretty Girl?" Derek asked.

A lazy grin stretched Spencer's cheeks. "Can't wait to marry you!"

The camera showed Derek's face. "We'll see you soon, Pretty Girl!"

"Aww," JJ cooed.

A knock sounded on the hotel door. "I've got it!" Savannah chirped, jumping off the bed. She answered the door, and room service entered with a large pepperoni pizza and two bottles of Moscato. The girls gnawed on pizza and sipped wine while watching "Bridesmaids." Victoria looked around at her friends, her family, and her heart swelled.

…

Spencer entered his apartment, feeling tired but still smiling. He hung up his keys and shut the door. He stumbled back when a body flung itself at him. His arms wrapped around Victoria and a smile spread across his face. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey," Victoria replied, her face nestled against his chest. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Spencer withdrew, a soft smile touching his lips. Victoria looked up at him, her eyes twinkling. Spencer's eyes brushed her features.

"I'm not allowed to stay here tomorrow night." Victoria said.

Spencer frowned. "Why not?"

"You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, silly." Victoria smirked.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Are we really going to stick with all those traditions? You know it's just a superstition, right?"

"And I'm not taking any risks," Victoria retorted. "It's not about the superstition, I just want the moment where I first walk down the aisle and we look at each other. It's stupid, but I've always wanted that for my wedding."

Spencer shook his head but smiled. "Fine. But I get you tonight and tomorrow."

"I'm all yours." Victoria agreed.

"Good. Let's find a documentary to watch." Spencer kissed her cheek.

"Do you like how sexy I got for you?" Victoria said, dropping into a lunge. Spencer laughed at her. She wore an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts. A long pair of socks stretched up her shins.

"You're always sexy," Spencer said, leaning to kiss her cheek. "And is that my shirt?"

Victoria looked down at herself. "Maybe."

The apples of Spencer's cheeks popped as he suppressed a smile. "You look good in it. I think I'll join you." He rolled his suitcase into the bedroom and changed into pajamas. He heard Victoria rummaging in the kitchen. The smell of cocoa wafted to the bedroom while Spencer unpacked his things quickly. He then entered the living room and turned on Netflix, where he searched for a documentary. By the time he found one, Victoria shuffled into the room, carrying two mugs of cocoa. Spencer smiled at her as he hit play. He joined her on the couch and accepted the mug she offered him. Victoria stretched her feet into Spencer's lap while they watched. Spencer rested a hand on her leg and leaned back, a contented sigh escaping his lips.

The next day, they lounged in bed until lunch, drinking coffee and reading. Spencer read to Victoria while she painted. However, after lunch, they rushed to get ready for their dress rehearsal. Spencer dressed in a pair of dark brown pants and a light blue shirt. He tucked his shirt in and put on a navy tie. He paused in his measuring of the tie when Victoria graced the room. She wore a light sage dress. Her straight hair framed her face as she approached him.

"Need help?" she asked. Spencer turned toward her. She tied his tie for him, and for once, it was straight. He met her gaze.

He pulled her closer to him, his hands resting on her hips. "Thank you."

Victoria tugged on his collar and pulled him downward in a kiss. Spencer parted his lips to deepen it, and let out a breath when he felt Victoria's tongue trace his bottom lip. He slid his mouth against hers and explore her mouth, feeling her teeth scrape against his tongue. Her hands slid down his chest to his waistband. Spencer exhaled, feeling heat gather in between his legs. He broke off the kiss. "We should stop."

"Why?" Victoria pouted.

Spencer breathed a laugh. "Because if you keep going, I won't be able to control myself."

Victoria tilted her head up at him. "Maybe I don't want you to control yourself."

Spencer grabbed her hands. "We have the rehearsal dinner," he reminded her, "and we'll be married tomorrow. We've waited this long. We can wait one more night."

Victoria sighed. "I hate it when you're right. Which is ninety-nine percent of the time because you know everything."

"I don't know everything."

"You know a lot."

"Yeah."

"Nearly everything."

"Impossible."

"Nothing's impossible."

Spencer laughed. "You're right. You're impossible."

Victoria gaped at him. "Is that meant to insult me?"

Spencer shook his head. "Of course not. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"We should go." Spencer sighed. He took her hand and led her out of the apartment. They drove to the venue, the Glasgow Farm in Fredericksburg. It was a forty minute drive, but when they arrived, it was well worth it. They spent the late afternoon decorating with the wedding party. When the pastor arrived, a family friend of Victoria's, they ran through the ceremony. Spencer doubled over with laughter when Victoria and Hotch rolled down the aisle on Razor scooters.

"Wait, she needs a bouquet!" called Penelope, interrupting the ceremony. The pastor, Brandon Olden, smiled pleasantly while Alice handed Victoria a few dandelions.

"There ya go, I got ya fam." Alice winked and then backed into her place.

Victoria giggled. Mr. Olden put his hands on Victoria and Spencer. "I'm not going to say everything that I would at the wedding, because I want it to be a bit of a surprise. So we'll just pretend that I'm marrying you right now, might I say that you look lovely this evening, Victoria?"

"Why, thank you." Victoria said.

"Shhh, don't talk," Mr. Olden winked. "And… You guys are hubby and wife. Is that what the kids call it?" A few people laughed. Mr. Olden smiled. "You may kiss your fiancée."

"Show 'em who's boss, Reid." said Derek.

Spencer grabbed Victoria and dipped her, where he planted a firm kiss on her lips. Everyone cheered, and Spencer stood, pulling Victoria close. Penelope started playing "Clique" by Kanye West on her phone as everyone trailed back up the aisle. As they left the barn and headed for their cars, Victoria, Penelope and JJ linked arms.

"Ain't nobody fuckin' with my clique!" Penelope sang.

"The children, Pen!" Victoria giggled.

"Oh, right." Penelope paused her music. "My bad."

"It's okay, they're out of earshot." JJ muttered.

"All right, we'll meet Ristorante Renato." Rossi said.

"See you guys there!" Victoria called. Spencer hopped into the front seat. They waited while everyone else backed out of the venue and headed for the restaurant. Victoria looked at him, her brow furrowed. "Are we going?"

Spencer leaned toward and cupped her neck. He kissed her deeply before breaking off to rest his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Victoria said. Spencer could hear the smile in her voice. "Now can we go? I'm about to gnaw my own arm off."

Spencer chuckled and buckled his seatbelt. "Well, I wouldn't want you to do that." He drove to the restaurant, which was reserved just for their rehearsal dinner. When they entered, several people cheered. Spencer laced his fingers with Victoria's, grinning.

"Guess who's here?" squealed Penelope. She waved wildly and Emily Prentiss walked forward, grinning.

Spencer's jaw dropped into an open-mouthed grin. He let go of Victoria's hands to embrace Emily. She laughed. "Congratulations!" she cried. She turned to Victoria and the two hugged. "Thank you for inviting me to the rehearsal dinner."

"No problem!" Victoria said, waving Emily off. "We want the people we love here." Spencer and Victoria rounded through the crowd, hugging family and friends alike. He shook hands with his father but did not stay for a long chat with him. He gasped when he caught sight of Alex Blake.

She smiled and embraced him gently. "Hey, Spencer."

"Alex, it's so good to see you!" Spencer said, grinning. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Victoria invited me," said Alex, her eyes sparkling, "and I couldn't not come. I've missed you guys. I really miss crossword puzzles with you."

Spencer's grin softened. "Yeah, I miss it too. I miss you."

"I miss you, too." Alex waved at Victoria, who chatted with JJ, Emily and Penelope. Victoria left them to join Spencer.

"Hey, Alex," Victoria greeted warmly, embracing the former BAU agent.

"Victoria, you look beautiful," Alex said, looking Victoria up and down.

"Thank you," Victoria replied. "How have you been?"

"I've been great," Alex said. "James and I have been travelling a lot. I teach when we're not doing that."

"That sounds amazing," Victoria said.

"Where have you been?" Spencer agreed.

"Oh, London, Paris –which was my favorite –Madrid… Spencer, you would love it, there's so much history in Europe." Alex said. Spencer nodded enthusiastically.

"My mom's always wanted to go to Paris."

"If I may have everyone's attention," said Rossi into a microphone. Spencer and Victoria turned. Alex patted Spencer's back before turning her attention to Rossi. The room fell silent. "The maid of honor and the best man both asked me to give my speech tonight, since they're saving theirs for tomorrow. So, here it goes. I've known these two kiddos for a long time now. I've known Spencer longer than Victoria. And let me say, the kid's come a long way," Rossi paused to chuckle along with the rest of the BAU team. Spencer felt his cheeks redden. "I promise I won't embarrass you guys too much," Rossi added. "But I was once at a talk with Spencer at a university, where he told a room full of college students an existentialism joke. He's the only one who laughed, and I stared at him like he'd grown a third eye." Rossi grinned.

"It was a good joke." Spencer called.

Rossi rolled his eyes. "No, it wasn't."

"It was." Spencer muttered to Victoria. She patted his wrist comfortingly.

"Anyway, Spencer's grown into a remarkable young man, not that he ever wasn't, but he's really grown since then. I've seen the kid go through hell and back a couple of times, and he's always come back stronger," Rossi paused to look at the whiskey glass in his hand. He cleared his throat. "And this young lady has been with him for a few of those trips. When she first joined, she was the enemy. Working for the higher-ups who thought we were a rogue team that needed babysitting. But she slipped past our defenses and joined our family before we could even call her a dork," Rossi smiled as Victoria laughed. "I've watched her blossom into one hell of a woman, and I could not be prouder. I am honored that I have been able to partake in the journey of their love. I will forever be grateful that I got to watch them fall in love, and I can say, with a hundred percent certainty, that these two will love each other forever. To Spencer and Victoria," Rossi raised his glass, the rest of the room following suit, "for a lifetime of happiness and love, congratulations."

The room chorused with congratulatory wishes and cheers. Spencer looked at his fiancée, a soft smile toying with his lips. Victoria returned it, and he leaned down to kiss her as his fiancée for one last time.

 **…**

 **Sorry if this was kind of a blah chapter. If you guys want to see what their venue looks like, I suggest Googling the Glasgow Farm wedding in Fredericksburg, VA. It's really pretty! Next chapter is the wedding, and then I will start with Season 12! I hope to update at least once to every other week, depending on school and my other fanfics. I'm doing a lot of episodes from 12, so it'll finish before I even get to the Reid arc, which is good, because I have to find a way to squeeze Victoria into it. Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter with a review! Thank you!**


	51. Chapter 51

**_Dr. and Mrs. Reid_**

 **Warning… There is sexual content in this chapter. I tried to keep it light, as it's not my strong suit and I'm not super comfortable writing it. Anyway, please enjoy!**

Victoria spent the night at Penelope's. In the morning, they ate breakfast at a café near her apartment. After breakfast, Penelope delivered Victoria's boudoir photo album to Spencer in a neatly wrapped box with a letter attached to it. The girls then drove to the hair stylist, who Victoria had hired for her wedding, and met the other bridesmaids. The stylist, a woman named Joyce Woodland, got to work on Victoria first. After an hour of brushing, curling and pinning, Victoria's golden hair wowed in an up-do. The veil would perch just above the bun at the nape of her neck. Joyce instructed the others on how to pin the veil. Joyce then got to work on the other girls, styling their hair in up-dos and half-downs and fishtails and curls. By the time their hair was finished, they rushed to Lola Burner for makeup. Lola kept Victoria's makeup natural yet radiant. Victoria cringed at the false lashes, but when her makeup was done, she felt like a radiant bride. The others had their makeup done, and then they rushed to Fredericksburg to get to the Glasgow Farm. Victoria hurried into the dressing room, where Penelope and JJ helped Victoria into her dress. It fit snugly, as it was supposed to, but Victoria nearly panicked when the layers of tulle got caught in the seam of the waist in her underwear.

"I'm goin' in!" Penelope yelled. She ducked under the skirt of the dress and tugged on the caught layers. "I am getting real personal with you, V."

Victoria yelped when Penelope nearly pulled down her underwear. She laughed. "As if we've got boundaries, Pen."

"Good point." Penelope's voice was muffled. At last, she succeeded in detangling the layers and the dress expanded, allowing Victoria to breathe. Penelope emerged from beneath the skirt.

"Garter belt!" JJ said, grabbing the lacy, light blue object. She helped Victoria put it on her right leg.

"Okay… What are we forgetting?" Penelope huffed.

"The veil!" Savannah squealed. She placed in Victoria's hair and held it steady as Penelope and JJ worked on pinning it.

"Shoes," Tara said, bringing for the silvery, lavender heels that matched the sash on Victoria's dress. Victoria held Tara's hands as she stepped into the shoes.

"Perfume," Alice said, spritzing Victoria lightly with Yellow Diamonds by Versace. She checked her watch. "We have twenty minutes before the photographer gets here."

The bridesmaids rushed to get ready, taking a break to hold Victoria's dress while she used the bathroom. Victoria gazed at her bridesmaids, who wore lace, wisteria dresses that brushed the floor. "You guys look beautiful."

"Thank you," Tara said, beaming.

"But you look… Wow." JJ said, examining Victoria.

Penelope fanned her face. "I'm trying not to cry," she explained, staring at the ceiling. "Victoria, you look stunning!"

Alice hugged Victoria gently. "Photographer's here. I'll make sure she knows that Spencer can't see you."

"Okay, thanks." Victoria said.

"I'll go," said Tara, "you guys take a moment." She left, and JJ and Penelope followed, leaving Victoria alone with Alice. The sisters stared at each other for a moment, tears in their eyes.

"I am so unbelievably happy for you." Alice said.

"Thank you," Victoria breathed. "I-I can't believe I'm finally getting married."

"I wish Nana were here," Alice muttered. Victoria's eyes burned. Alice smiled sadly. "But she is, isn't she? Sirius Black once said, 'The ones who love us never really leave us. We can always find them in here.'" Alice placed a hand over her heart.

Victoria nodded. "Please don't make me cry."

"Sorry," Alice laughed, "I'm just super emotional right now. Okay. You ready to take some pictures?"

Victoria nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Yeah, I'm ready."

…

Spencer toyed with the cuffs of his tuxedo. The words on Victoria's letter, along with the pictures in the photo album, burned his mind's eye. _See you tonight_. The boudoir pictures were undeniably sexy, yet classy. Victoria wasn't naked in any of them, though they were rather suggestive. Spencer would never leave that album out for anyone to see. And it worked. All he did was think about Victoria.

"Hi, Spencer," said Wendy, the wedding photographer. She shook Spencer's hand. "I'm gonna get a few pictures of you and the groomsmen, now. I took some of Victoria and the bridesmaids already. I'll get some of you and Victoria, but we'll have to be more creative with those, since she doesn't want you to see her before the wedding."

"Okay, sounds great." Spencer replied. Wendy took some pictures of him and the groomsmen. She encouraged them to be themselves, so they told jokes. Many of the pictures involved their laughing, which resulted in some awesome pictures. Afterward, Wendy led Spencer inside the building.

"You stand on this side of the door, and Victoria will be on the other side." Wendy instructed. She had Spencer stand with his back to the door and reach his hand around. Victoria's hand met his. He assumed she stood with her back to the door, too. They held hands. Wendy left after a few shots, promising to take a few at the reception.

"I got your photo album." Spencer muttered.

"Oh?"

"I really liked it." Spencer admitted, feeling his cheeks redden.

"Really? I was worried you'd be weirded out by it."

"Not at all. And I'm going to think about you all night." Spencer's voice lowered to a husky murmur.

Victoria was quiet for a long time. "Good."

Spencer smiled. "I'm more excited to be your husband."

"Only a little while longer," Victoria said. Spencer heard the smile in her voice and grinned. "I love you, Spencer."

Spencer's grin softened. "I love you, Victoria." He squeezed her hand and they parted ways. He found his mother, pacing the hallway. She looked quite pretty in a silver dress. Her face flooded with relief when she saw Spencer.

"I was beginning to think something had happened to you!" she gasped, rushing to him. Spencer hugged her.

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm not late."

"There are lots of people in there, Spencer." Diana replied, gesturing to the closed doors of the chapel area.

"I know. We invited them." Spencer assured her.

Diana relaxed. She looked him up and down. She placed her hands on his cheeks. "You look so handsome."

Spencer smiled. "Thank you. And you look beautiful."

Diana beamed. Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, my boy… You look so happy."

"I am."

"Then I promise to love Victoria like she's one of my own," said Diana. "Unless she breaks your heart. Then I'll tear her apart."

Spencer's eyebrows shot up. "Mom, she won't do that."

"Then there's nothing to worry about, is there?" Diana smirked and winked. Spencer stared at her for a moment, but before he could respond, someone patted him on the back.

"Hey, man," said Derek as Spencer turned. "Before we start, I just wanna say... I could not be happier for you. I'm so proud of you, kid. I love you."

Spencer smiled and hugged Derek. "Thank you. I love you, too."

The quartet in the chapel strung up a tune. Spencer smoothed his suit and offered his arm to his mother. He waited for Pastor Olden to walk down the aisle. His father followed. Spencer waited a few seconds, and then he walked down the aisle with his mother. At the end, he embraced his mother and kissed her cheek. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. William Reid helped Diana sit on the front pew with a smile and nod in Spencer's direction. Spencer took his place at the altar. He watched Savannah, escorted by David Rossi walk down the aisle. Tara and Brett followed. JJ walked down with Jason. JJ beamed at Spencer and waved at him. He grinned in reply. Alice graced the aisle on Brett's arm. Finally, Derek and Penelope waltzed down the aisle, arm in arm. Tears sparkled in Penelope's eyes. Next came the ring bearer, Henry. He waved at Spencer.

"Hi, Uncle Spencer." Henry said.

Spencer chuckled. "Hi, Henry."

Following Henry walked Lucy, Brett's daughter. Her little blonde curls bounced as she tossed silk, white rose petals on the aisle. She beamed at the coos she received. The music changed, and the entire congregation stood and faced the doors. Spencer tried to contain his smile, watching as Victoria entered the chapel.

She looked beyond stunning. She radiated in her gown, which suited her. The tulle of her gown fluttered. The lace hugged her torso, while the neckline curved down her chest but kept it modest. The satin, jeweled belt around her waist glittered when the Christmas lights hanging from the rafters caught it. Her lips fanned into a wife, happy smile. Her eyes danced as she approached, her arm looped through Aaron's while the other held her bouquet of light purple and white roses. Aaron wore a grin, larger than the any Spencer had seen in recent years. Spencer's own face hurt from the smiling so widely. Aaron and Victoria stopped before the pulpit.

"Who gives away this bride?" asked Mr. Olden.

"I do." said Aaron, his voice catching slightly. Spencer's smile softened when he caught a glimpse of the tears in Aaron's eyes. Aaron and Victoria embraced. Aaron kissed Victoria's cheek before handing her over to Spencer, who took Victoria's hands in his.

"We're gathered here today to celebrate the joining of two people in every aspects of their lives. In the words of Laura Hendricks, love is friendship caught fire. And these two have decided to keep that fire going forever. Through marriage, their souls will be joined as one. Their decision to marry today is a public declaration of their love and devotion to one another, and we are here to show our support for this couple. The essence of commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion and friend. And from what I've seen of these two, they have this in their relationship. They were co-workers, then friends and now lovers. And they balance these three things. I've had the honor of getting to know these two over the past few months, and in the week that I've been here and met with them, I've seen their relationship at work. If this isn't true love, I don't know what is," said Pastor Olden. Spencer's smile softened until it faded, with just the corners of his lips hinting at his smile. He felt it in his eyes as he gazed at Victoria, who wore a similar, adoring expression. "Spencer Walter Reid, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live?"

Spencer squeezed Victoria's hands. "I do."

"And do you, Victoria Elizabeth Parker, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live?" Pastor Olden said.

Victoria smiled slightly, her eyes never wavering from Spencer's. "I do."

"May we have the rings?" said Pastor Olden, looking around.

Henry stepped forward and handed over the rings. Spencer slid the ring onto Victoria's finger. "With this ring, I promise to love and support you for the rest of our lives, and to be your coffee date forever." Spencer swore.

Victoria laughed softly. "With this ring, I promise to love and support you for the rest of our lives, and to be your Halloween date forever."

Spencer grinned as the congregation chuckled. Pastor Olden beamed. "May you look at these rings and always remember your vows to one another. I now pronounce you man and wife. Spencer, you may kiss your bride."

Spencer beamed and cupped Victoria's face. He planted a firm, lingering but chaste kiss on her lips. Derek cheered and Penelope joined in. Spencer broke off the kiss with a laugh. He took Victoria's hand and led her back up the aisle. They disappeared inside a private room for a few moments, since they had several minutes to wait before their entrance in the reception hall. Spencer pulled Victoria into a hug. They held each other for several moments. "I love you." Spencer murmured.

"I love you, too." Victoria's voice was muffled. She tilted her head upward to look at him. He smiled down at her.

"Can we go home now?" he asked.

Victoria grinned. "I think they'd miss us."

Spencer sighed. He looked her up and down. "You look… Wow."

Victoria looked away, smiling shyly. "You look handsome."

Spencer kissed her cheek and laced his fingers with hers. "Let's go celebrate."

…

Victoria swept out to the dance floor where she met Rossi. He placed a hand on her waist and used the other to grasp hers. She placed her other hand on his shoulder. "Just warning you, I can't dance." Victoria muttered.

David smiled. "Not to worry, _Tesoro_. Just follow my lead."

Victoria grinned and attempted to follow David's lead, but she stumbled quite a bit. "Sorry," she giggled as she stepped on his toes.

David chuckled and shook his head. "Stand on my feet," he instructed. Victoria obeyed, and David waltzed them around the space. "You are _bellissima_."

"Thank you," Victoria murmured.

David gazed at Victoria, his eyes surprisingly soft. "I'm very proud of you, Victoria."

"Me? Why?" Victoria sputtered.

David rolled his eyes. "No need to look so surprised," he chided gently. "You've come a long way. I remember when I saw you with Korey… Gah, the things you let him say to you… You're so strong. You've toughened up and I.." David broke off, his eyes sparkling. Victoria's own eyes burned. "I'm so honored to dance with you tonight."

Victoria sniffed to keep from crying. "Have I ever told you I love you?"

David averted her gaze, abashed. "Not out loud, but I-I know."

"Well, I love you, David Rossi."

David cleared his throat. "I love you too, kiddo."

Victoria and David left the dance floor so that Spencer and his mother could dance. Victoria found her bridesmaids and embraced them all. They exclaimed their congratulatory wishes and made Victoria promise to upkeep a monthly girls' night. Victoria laughed and assured them that she would. Someone tapped Victoria's shoulder. She turned and her smile faltered as she laid eyes upon William Reid.

"Congratulations." he said.

Victoria nodded. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry that I… That I haven't been a familiar presence in your lives." William looked at his shoes for a moment.

"Maybe you should apologize to Spencer, not me." Victoria replied, though not harshly.

William looked at her. "You're very protective of him."

Victoria tensed. "Should I not be?"

William smiled. "No, I think it's good that you are. You… You seem like a fighter. Not that Spencer isn't, but… I don't know. I'm doing a poor job of saying that I'm glad you two found each other."

Victoria softened. "He needs to hear it from you."

"I know. And I'll tell him. But I wanted you to know that I hope the two of you are more successful than Diana and I were." William said.

Victoria shifted. "Well… Thank you."

William patted her arm awkwardly before shuffling away. Victoria watched him go and jumped when someone wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's our turn to dance." Spencer murmured in her ear.

Victoria looked up at him and smiled, her wonderings about William Reid vanishing. They stepped out on the dance floor. Spencer placed a hand on Victoria's waist while she rested hers on his shoulder. He held her other hand and they swayed gently together to "All This Time" by OneRepublic. It was the first song they had ever danced to, the first others had wondered about their feelings for each other. It seemed fitting to dance to as their first dance as husband and wife. Spencer pulled Victoria closer, her hand curling in his to rest near his chest. They gazed into each other's' eyes. When the song ended, they shared a kiss.

The rest of the night flew by in whorl of dancing, eating, drinking, cake-cutting and laughter. Victoria's feet ached to their bones by the time she and Spencer were sent off with sparklers instead of rice. They clambered into the limousine, which drove them to a hotel, where they had reserved the honeymoon suite. They had yet to decide a date and place for their honeymoon. Victoria figured, what with Scratch on the loose, they would wait. Once in the suite, Victoria kicked off her shoes with a groan of relief. Spencer took off his jacket and rubbed his eyes.

"I don't think I've ever been this tired." Spencer muttered.

Victoria raised her eyebrows at him. "Too tired?"

Spencer frowned at her. "Too tired for what?"

Victoria looked at him suggestively and he looked toward the ceiling to hide his sheepish glow. "Will you unzip me?" Victoria asked, turning and pulling her hair out of the way. Spencer obliged. Victoria felt his eyes on her bare back and bit her lip.

"I'm not too tired." Spencer replied in a low voice. Victoria turned toward him, catching the soft smile touching his eyes. She mirrored it.

Then, she blanched. "You know that I haven't ever done this before…"

Spencer placed his hands on her waist. "I know. I haven't either."

Victoria relaxed slightly. She reached up and unfastened his tie. Spencer dipped down to kiss her. Victoria deepened it by parting her lips and sucking on his bottom lip. He responded with a soft moan. He pulled Victoria closer and cupped her neck with his hand. Victoria's hands fluttered to Spencer's shirt and fumbled with the buttons. He gasped when she attacked his belt. His hands roamed upward to her shoulders. He helped her out of the dress, leaving her bare except for her panties. His eyes danced over her form for a moment before pulling her close to him, the skin of their chests touching. His hands slid down her sides and around her butt. He hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pinned her against the wall and groaned as she ground her hips against him. Victoria broke off the kiss, her cheeks flushed and a light sheen of sweat touching her forehead. "Bed."

Spencer grinned in reply and carried her over to the bed, where he dropped her gently. He crawled on top of her and trailed kisses along her bare chest. Victoria sighed at the feeling of his lips on her stomach. Spencer stopped to look up at her for permission. Victoria looked at him and nodded. He peeled off her panties and disappeared between her thighs. Victoria gasped as Spencer's tongue worked its magic. Her hands entangled themselves in his hair. He gripped her hips, his fingers digging into her skin like talons. Eventually, Spencer withdrew. Victoria wrapped her legs around him and rolled him over so that she straddled him. It took a little effort, and they paused to chuckle. Victoria buried her face into Spencer's chest, still shaking with laughter. She looked up and softened at the gaze Spencer gave her. He ran a thumb across her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Victoria journeyed south and smiled at Spencer's yelp when she placed her mouth around him. He gripped the sheets. He stopped her after a few minutes. Victoria returned to his eye level. "I-I don't wanna…" he trailed off and Victoria nodded in understanding. Free of clothing, he rolled on top of her. Victoria's knees peaked by Spencer's hips. "It's going to hurt." he warned gently.

Victoria nodded. "I know. I don't care."

Spencer drew closer and let out a soft groan into her ear as he entered her. Victoria winced at the pain. Spencer cupped her neck. "Are you okay?"

Victoria nodded. "I'm fine."

Spencer continued to check on her whenever she grimaced and hissed in pain. She continued to assure him that she was fine. He touched her to match her pleasure with his. He climaxed first, but continued with her until she followed. They panted for a minute together, lost in each other. Spencer nestled his face in the crook of Victoria's neck. Her hand stroked his hair. He snaked arms underneath her to grip her shoulders, relishing the closeness.

"I…" Spencer breathed, "I think I like being married."

Victoria laughed, which prompted a chuckle from him. They soon dissolved into giggles as they held each other. Their laughter faded into silence. They cleaned up and dressed into their pajamas and snuggled close to each other. They fell asleep almost as soon as the lights went out, exhausted but happy.

 **…**

 **Shorter chapter, but a lot of my classes got canceled this week, so I was able to update sooner. I don't know if Spencer's actual middle name is Walter, but MGG tweeted it one time. He was joking, but he said it, so I used it. I feel like it suits Spencer, anyway. Ummm… So far for Season 12 (which I bought on YouTube so that I can re-watch the episodes all I want before Netflix releases them in the summer) I am doing The Crimson King, Taboo, Keeper, Elliot's Pond, Mirror Image, Scarecrow, Surface Tension, A Good Husband, Spencer and Collision Course. By the time I get to Collision Course, Season 12 will be over and I'll know which other episodes I wanna do. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed and please review!**


	52. Chapter 52

**_The Crimson King_**

Spencer and Victoria had discussed their honeymoon but had yet to make a decision. With Spencer's mother's condition fluctuating in terms of better and worse. She seemed better for the time being, but Spencer had no idea how long that would last. He had mentioned to Diana going to France, which she had seemed excited about. But that was before Spencer and Victoria had married. But Victoria had sat him down a few weeks ago and talked about taking Diana to France. Victoria had said that Spencer needed to enjoy the time he had left with his mother.

"I regret not spending more time with Nana," she'd said. "I don't want you to regret that with your mother."

Spencer had pulled her into a tight, grateful embrace. Victoria had joined Spencer and his mother in France for a week. The three of them had enjoyed the main sights, like the Eiffel Tower, together. They had eaten at cafés and tasted at wineries. Spencer had made sure to feed his mother omega-3 rich foods to combat her dementia. Diana had seemed really happy. Victoria had left France after a week to go on a trip with her own family. Spencer had FaceTimed Victoria every night. Diana had joined in, sometimes. Sometimes, Victoria had one of nieces or nephews in the video with her, which Diana had always loved to see.

Spencer smiled to himself as pulled up to the FBI. His gaze flicked to the wedding band around his finger and a soft smile tugged at his lips. He grabbed his messenger bag and shouldered it. He locked his car and headed up to the building. He ran into JJ in the lobby, waiting for the elevator. Her face brightened with a wide smile. "Spence, hey!" she greeted, hugging him.

Spencer grinned as he returned the embrace. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you, too," JJ lamented. She beamed at him. "You look well."

"Thank you, so do you," Spencer said as they stepped onto the elevator.

"How was the trip with your mom?" JJ asked.

"Oh, it was fantastic. We went to a lot of lesser known museums," Spencer paused as he held the door open for JJ. "Then we walked through the Louvre and visited the Eiffel Tower. The best part was that on the flight back, Mom was able to walk me through every moment of it. I didn't even have to prompt her."

JJ set her stuff on her desk. "Oh, Spence. That's so great."

"The latest research shows that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids help combat dementia, which we gorged on in Paris. I mean honestly, if she hadn't been clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I'd just think she was a little absent-minded." Spencer replied, setting his messenger bag on his desk.

"So are you gonna keep her in the same facility?" JJ asked, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, she really likes it there."

"And how is married life treating you?" JJ asked, lifting her eyebrows at Spencer teasingly.

Spencer felt his cheeks burn, but he grinned and looked at the floor. "Great, really great," he said. He looked up when Rossi joined them. "What did I miss while I was gone? Tell me about Agent Alvez."

"Oh, uh, well he bounced between different divisions before joining the fugitive task force." JJ replied.

"Former army ranger, right?" Spencer asked.

"Covered most Iraq's worst hellholes. He's a first-in-last-out kind of guy." Rossi added.

"What does Garcia think about him?" Spencer asked.

"Uh…" JJ trailed off, a grimace pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"She misses Derek and doesn't like change," said Rossi. "You know how Penelope is. She'll come around."

Spencer nodded. He glanced at Victoria's empty desk. "Did Hotch, Lewis and Victoria say anything about the case in Arizona?"

JJ nodded. "They're keeping us updated, but they don't know if we should all come in just yet."

Spencer glanced at Rossi when the older man let out a sigh. "I hate waiting around."

…

Victoria stood next to Tara, examining the crime scene photos of the Cullen case several years ago to the photos of the newest victim. She frowned at them. Her eyes ached from staring at these pictures, trying to catch the difference. She thought she noticed that the handwriting seemed different, but she wasn't an expert on handwriting carved into skin. Who knew, maybe skin types were tougher than others or something. The victim could have been struggling, too.

"The handwriting's slightly different," Victoria muttered to Tara.

"Yeah," she agreed. "And it looks the wounds in the Cullen case are deeper."

"I thought they were shallower?" Victoria frowned.

"See how the wound is more open on the new victim? It doesn't go as deep as the Cullen victims." Tara pointed out the difference.

"Oh, okay. I understand." Victoria replied.

"Garcia, did the pictures come through?" Hotch asked into the phone.

"Yes sir, they are coming in loud and disconcertingly clear." Penelope reported.

"So, this is it. You compare pics of old victims with pics of the new victims and see what's different." said Dewey, a young cop working the case with Victoria, Tara and Hotch.

"Hotch, you see this?" Tara called.

Hotch joined them, examining the pictures. "Yes."

"See what?" Dewey asked.

"Garcia, we need everybody." Hotch said into the phone, walking away. Tara followed. Victoria shot Dewey an apologetic glance and followed them into a private room.

"Will do!" Penelope promised.

"We think it's a copycat?" Victoria asked, sitting at the table while they waited for Penelope to patch in the rest of the team.

"There are noticeable differences in the Cullen victims and the new one." Hotch confirmed.

"Hey, Aaron," said Rossi from the phone, "you've got everyone."

"The details of the Cullen case are all the same except for one." Hotch said.

"The cuts on the latest victim are shallow and show definite hesitation marks." said Tara.

"It doesn't make sense. From his first victim, Cullen inflicted as much pain as possible." JJ replied.

"And prison would've made him mean. They're not nice there." said Alvez. Victoria had never met him in person, but she had heard good things about him.

"Brian Phillips doesn't match Cullen's previous injustice collector victimology, either." Victoria said.

"And the message this time is 'BAU' when we had nothing to do with his initial arrest three years ago." added Tara.

"So maybe he met someone in prison who told him all about us, but more likely…" Victoria trailed off.

"This isn't Daniel Cullen. It's a very sophisticated copycat." Spencer realized.

"Agent Alvez, this isn't the case you signed up for, but your history with it will still be an asset." Hotch said.

There was a moment of silence while Alvez considered Hotch's words. "If someone out there is copying Cullen, it could still lead us to him and I want in on that." Alvez said eventually.

"I need everyone to look for any other discrepancies between the copycat and Cullen. Tara and Victoria are gonna interview the latest victim and see what he remembers." Hotch said.

"We're on our way." Rossi promised. They hung up. Victoria stood from her chair and followed Tara outside, who drove the SUV to the hospital, where Brian Phillips sat on his hospital bed. They entered the hospital room to find Brian scratching around the bandages on his stomach.

"Does it itch?" Tara asked after a moment.

Brian's face wrinkled. "So bad," he whimpered. Victoria's eyes softened with sympathy. Brian sniffled. "When I was twelve, I came home from summer camp and two of my closest friends… They had moved away. It was the first time I noticed how quickly life can change. You think you're one thing and then you're something else. And now I'm this." Brian gestured to the bandages on his stomach, his eyes full of angry tears.

Victoria's heart clenched for him. She touched the gunshot scar on her stomach absentmindedly. "This trauma, yes, it's a part of you, but it is not all of you. I-I speak from experience. You'll grow stronger than this." she assured him.

Brian considered her for a moment and looked like he wanted to say something, but Tara beat him to it. "Help us catch the man who did this and you can take back control of your life."

Brian seemed to catch his voice. "How?"

"Walk us through it. Okay? Two days ago you clocked out from work. Where'd you go?" Tara murmured.

"Straight home," Brian answered, his eyes glazed as he stared at memories the FBI agents could not see. "Uh… but the door was unlocked. Before I could even think, 'Hey, that's not right,' I was out. Just… gone. And when I woke up, I was on a table. I couldn't see anything."

"Why not?" Tara prompted.

"There was like a white plastic bag? No, no, that's not right." Brian frowned.

"It's okay, your mind makes jumps and then you try to fill in the gaps, but… Just, let it come." Victoria assured him.

Brian nodded and closed his eyes. "It was a mask, like a gas mask, but it was painted white. No, that's not right, it was black."

Victoria and Tara exchanged a glance. Tara leaned forward. "That's the second time you've mentioned white. What are you trying to remember?"

Brian's eyes flashed open, a fat tear jiggling in his eye as it tried to escape. "The smoke… The smoke was white. And then I heard him speak. He told me to breathe it in, that I was ready, and then asked my name. I told him. He told me I'm not Brian. And then I passed out because that's when he started cutting." Brian's hands shook as he spoke.

"Okay, tell me about the smoke." Tara said.

"What about it?"

"What did it smell like? Taste? If we can figure out what it was, we can screen for it in your system." Tara explained.

Brian thought for a moment. "Bubblegum?"

"Bubblegum?" Tara repeated.

"That sounds crazy, but I swear… Yeah, it was like bubblegum." Brian shuddered slightly.

"It doesn't sound crazy at all, Brian." Victoria assured him, offering a small smile. Tara thanked him and turned to leave. Victoria turned to follow her.

"Hey, Agent…?" Brian trailed off.

"Reid." Victoria answered the question in Brian's voice.

"Agent Reid," Brian said, "how do you know about the trauma?"

Victoria stiffened. She glanced at the floor, pursing her lips. She met Brian's desperate gaze and her heart clenched for him. "I have scars from when I was attacked, some on my stomach. This is from that attack," Victoria rolled up her sleeve to show Brian the thin scars across her forearm from where Korey had cut her. "It took a while, but I moved on. And I'm better for it. You can and will, too."

Brian nodded, lost for words. Victoria offered him a grim smile and left the hospital room. She and Tara walked in silence to the SUV. After starting the car, however, Tara plucked up the courage to talk. "What happened to you?"

Victoria looked at Tara. "My ex kidnapped and tortured me. The team saved my life."

Tara glanced at Victoria before turning her attention back to the road. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Victoria waved Tara off. "I'm open about it, if you ask. I don't talk about it mostly because it makes people uncomfortable and they don't know how to respond to it. I don't let it control me."

"I'm glad," Tara muttered after a moment. She smiled. "You're right, I don't know how to respond to it."

Victoria returned the smile. They parked at the police headquarters. They entered the building, only to find a grim Hotch waiting for them. "Garcia just tracked a 9-1-1 call from a Jennifer Jareau here in Tempe." he informed them.

Victoria frowned, but it faded as realization dawned on her. "Scratch."

Hotch nodded. "Let's go."

Victoria, Tara and Hotch strapped on their Kevlar vests and jumped into an SUV. Victoria checked her phone when it buzzed. It was a text from Spencer.

 _Please be safe._

Victoria typed back a response. _I will. I love you._

 _I love you, too._

Victoria huffed and slipped her phone into her pocket. They jumped out of the car when they arrived at a worn-down house. Victoria slipped her gun out of its holster and followed Hotch into the house. She and the officers who followed them there checked the rooms of the house. So far, it was clear. Victoria tensed when she heard a woman call something out. She exchanged a glance with Hotch and Tara. The three of them crept toward the woman's voice. The followed the call down the hall, to an ajar door at the end.

"Hotch," the woman called. "Hotch." She repeated Hotch's name over and over. Victoria pushed open the door and Hotch charged into the room. Victoria followed after Tara. She lowered her weapon, her lips parting in shock. The woman muttering Hotch's name was tied to a chair. She looked up at them and Victoria's stomach twisted. "Hotch" was carved into her forehead, a trickle of blood trailing past her eye and down her cheek.

Aaron called in the paramedics, who rolled the poor girl out of the house and into an ambulance. She never stopped repeating Hotch's name. Aaron watched the ambulance speed off, sirens wailing. Victoria placed a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

Aaron looked at her and graced her with one of his rare almost-smiles. "I'll be better when we catch Scratch." He squeezed her hand and they headed back into the house, where Tara looked over the girl's –Chelsea Carter –medication. Victoria read some of the labels. PTSD, depression… Poor Chelsea Carter definitely fit Peter Lewis's victimology.

"She's had a complete dissociative break," Tara muttered, shaking her head. "But I can't think of what connects her to Brian Phillips."

Victoria's stomach turned. "There could be something he's not telling us."

"We need to deliver the profile," Hotch muttered. Victoria nodded in agreement and set down an orange, white-capped pill bottle.

…

After delivering the profile, Spencer hugged Victoria. She seemed a little shaken, but unharmed. Spencer squeezed her shoulder and she offered him a weak smile in return. They moved back toward the team. Victoria saw Alvez and held out her hand to him. "We haven't officially met. I'm Victoria Reid."

Spencer couldn't suppress his smile at Victoria's last name. Alvez's eyebrows shot up. "There are two of you?"

Victoria and Spencer exchanged a glance. "We're married." Spencer answered.

Luke looked at them, a little perplexed. "That's awesome," he said, grinning. "I'm Luke Alvez."

Victoria returned his smile. "You can call me Victoria or Parker so it doesn't get too confusing."

Spencer put his hands in his pockets to keep from wrapping an arm around her waist. One of the many downsides of being married and on the same team was the limitations on PDA. Spencer understood the protocol, and he was very fortunate to at least be married to a member of his team. They had signed a lot of paperwork, agreeing that they would not let their relationship deter from work. Their outstanding work with the FBI had allowed them some leeway with fraternization rules, and they had proved that they could handle their relationship and work. As long as they did not do anything reckless on the field and kept their hands to themselves, they were free to be married. Spencer loved Hotch for pulling those strings. Though he suspected Victoria may have had a hand in it, too. She knew Cramer, who possessed a grudging respect for her.

"You guys will have to tell me the story," Luke said, indicating to the space between Spencer and Victoria. "But there's something bothering me about this case right now."

Spencer and the rest of the team got to work going over the case. They deduced that Peter Lewis was trying to induce a dissociative break in DID victims. Spencer cleared his throat. "Tempe is good place for this small victimology pool because there's a summer camp for these victims."

Victoria's head snapped up. "Summer camp?" She looked at Tara. "Didn't Brian say something about going to a summer camp?"

Tara's eyes widened. "Yeah. I'll go talk to him." She left, leaving Victoria to continue brainstorming with the team.

After more discussion, Luke returned from a coffee run with a new theory. "What's worked for Scratch so far?" Spencer exchanged a glance with his wife. He looked back at Luke, inclining his head to encourage him to continue. "He's got the BAU to come to him."

Spencer's eyes flickered to Victoria again, swelled with concern for her. She had never been part of the original Scratch case because she had been in London at the time. But Peter Lewis was cold and calculating. He was a psychotic genius and would've done his homework. He would know Victoria's background and any information on her that he needed. Spencer held Victoria's hand under the table. They waited for Tara to return from her talk with Brian.

"Well, it least the list of DID victims from that summer camp won't get out. As long as Scratch doesn't have it, he can't attack more victims to get at us." Rossi said.

"I… I asked Brian to write it down." Tara's voice startled Spencer. He looked at her. She seemed shaken.

"We need to stop that list from getting out." Hotch said. He dialed Dewey's number. Tara ran a hand through her hair.

"Hotch, I'm so sorry." she breathed.

Spencer's stomach churned as they waited for information. Dewey didn't answer his phone, which sent a chill down the team's backs. Tara went with Hotch to the hospital. Spencer's chest tightened. Dewey was dead and Brian was missing. Tara and Hotch returned, the former looking distraught. Victoria placed a comforting hand on Tara's arm.

"Well, now we know who the copycat is." Rossi muttered.

"What's scientifically revolutionary is that Peter Lewis isn't just inducing an already existing alternate, he's actually creating one. That's undocumented in DID literature." Spencer said.

"It is possible with the right balance of drugs and torture." Tara croaked.

"Peter Lewis never tortured before." JJ frowned.

Hotch shook his head. "He does mentally by hypnotizing his victims into self-harm. It explains Brian's shallow wounds."

"So you mean he cut himself?" Luke clarified.

"It was all there in the story that told me." Tara muttered, shaking her head.

"Us. I didn't see it, either." Victoria corrected her firmly. Tara offered Victoria a look of gratitude.

"DID is usually the result of trauma. If Peter Lewis could build an alternate like this through hypnotic suggestion, it means that Brian has some propensity for psychopathy in his past." Spencer added.

"Lewis, did you locate the parents?" Hotch asked.

"Yeah."

"All right, see what kind of history you can get from them. The rest of us need to look at every clue again through the prison of Brian as a Trojan horse." Hotch said.

"Where's the evidence room?" Luke asked suddenly. Rossi went with Luke to show him said room while Spencer looked over the case file for the umpteenth time.

…

Victoria headed for the coffee machine, only to find Tara already there, staring across the room with a distant look in her eyes. Victoria followed her friend's gaze to see Dewey's devastated widow. Victoria felt her throat swell. If she ever lost Spencer to the job… She blinked, shaking off the feeling of fantasized horror and turned to Tara. "Hey. How can I help?"

Tara blinked, focusing on Victoria at last. "Brian's parents are gonna be here in a few minutes. Can you sit in the interview and just make sure I don't miss anything?"

"I will," said Victoria, "and you won't."

When Brian's parents arrived, Victoria kept her promise and sat on the couch with Tara. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances." Tara introduced.

"Anything you can tell us about Brian will be useful." Victoria added.

"Brian was always a sensitive child. We did our best." Mrs. Phillips said.

"Can you keep him from hurting himself? Or anyone else?" said Mr. Phillips.

Victoria glanced at Tara, who seemed at a loss for words. "We're gonna try," Victoria assured them, "but he's wanted for the murder of a police officer."

The couple gripped each other's hands and looked at each other, tears in their eyes. "What do you need from us, agents?" Mrs. Phillips's voice resonated with new resolve.

"We need to ask you about Brian's DID, and where it started." Tara said.

"We adopted Brian through our church. It was a closed adoption. When we received him, h-he had these scars." Mr. Phillips explained.

"The pediatrician told us that somebody in the Foster Care system had smashed bottles across him and then cut him with the jagged glass." Mrs. Phillips blubbered.

"Was he ever violent?" Victoria asked softly.

"Only toward himself. He'd cut open his own scars." Mr. Phillips closed his eyes for a moment, shuddering at the memories.

"And then he would go into a sort of chant. Like a mantra. We thought he was self-soothing at first. And then we realized he was talking like…" Mrs. Phillips trailed off.

"Girls, right?" Tara guessed. Victoria glanced at her, frowning slightly. "Who were they?"

"Well, we think that they were in the Foster Care system with him and that they would help him, you know, feel better, after he'd been hurt." Mrs. Phillips explained.

Victoria and Tara exchanged a glance before Tara leaned forward, her eyes hardening intently. "Okay, this is very important. What would he say when he talked like them?"

…

"Uh, yeah, this guy ordered this arm spreader. Um, two of them, actually." said the sex shop cashier. Spencer exchanged a glance with Luke, catching the suspicious look the cashier threw Spencer.

"Two of them? So where's the other one?" Luke muttered.

The cashier glanced at Spencer, her brow wrinkled. "Um… Could I see your badge again?"

Spencer frowned but reached into his jacket. "Yeah, is there a problem?" he said politely, showing her his badge.

The cashier leaned forward, examining Spencer's credentials. "Yeah, okay, the guy who ordered them, the name he left on the invoice was Dr. Spencer Reid."

Spencer's mind jumped to action. "Did he pay with my credit card also?"

"Cash," said the cashier regretfully. "You know, I knew he was sketchy. Guys like him give S&M a bad rap. Which is why I also asked for a copy of Dr. Reid's driver's license, which he happily gave me."

"We'll need that right now." Luke said.

"Oh, yeah." said the cashier, disappearing to find said copy of Spencer's driver's license. She handed over the copy, and Spencer thanked her before following Luke outside, who called Garcia to inform her of the situation.

"Oh, he was all up in your business, Boy Wonder. He used your social security number to do a change of address and everything… He's even got a copy of your marriage license… But, speaking of addresses, we have a local one for him." Penelope said.

Spencer pursed his lips. "Good. Get that information to the rest of the team and the police, please. We need to assume he has the same level of personal information for the entire BAU."

"And Daniel Cullen." Luke said. They clambered into the car after putting on their Kevlar vests and started for the address that Garcia had sent them. The rest of the team patched into the phone call.

"But we ruled out his involvement." Spencer protested.

"Now I'm not so sure. Peter Lewis copied a specific detail of Cullen's arm spreader, one that wasn't in a public record. The only way he could've gotten it is if the real Crimson King has been part of this all along." Luke replied.

"Reid, Luke, the police are ten minutes out." said Rossi's voice.

"That could be a problem. If the police try to convince Brian he's not the Crimson King, he could get unstable." said Spencer.

"Guys, we might have a solution." said JJ's voice.

"Try to keep Brian calm. We're on our way." Tara said. Spencer nodded. Luke hung up and they pulled up to the house a minute later. Spencer jumped out of the car and withdrew his gun. He and Luke hurried into the house. Spencer was hardly surprised to see Brian with a scalpel to Daniel Cullen's throat.

"FBI, drop the weapon!" Spencer ordered, pointing his gun at Brian.

"No, no, no!" Brian rambled.

"Help me!" cried the Crimson King.

"The Crimson King doesn't kill. He doesn't have to, remember?" Spencer said.

"That's right," said Luke. "You kill and it's over. But if you let him go, he has to live the rest of his life as a failure, isn't that what you really want?"

"No, that's not good enough!" Brian snarled.

"No one is gonna hurt you like that ever again." Tara said, entering the house. Spencer moved to allow Tara, JJ and Victoria room.

"Back off! I mean it!" Brian's voice ripped out of his throat as he wrinkled his face in desperation.

"We can't do that. Okay? Someone told you to do this. But this isn't who you are, is it? We know that." said Tara gently.

"No one is ever going to hurt you like that again." Victoria said.

"Nobody hurt me. I hurt them!" Brian protested.

"Yes, they did hurt you. They cut you when you were little. And then right here on this very table, you saw your own blood and you didn't know what to do, so you became the Crimson King to protect yourself. No one is gonna hurt you like that ever again." Tara said. Spencer glanced toward her, realizing that she was reaching Brian through his new personality.

"No one is gonna hurt you like that ever again." said JJ.

"Do you remember Eliza? Angelica? What they used to say to you at the Foster Home to calm you down?" Tara's voice was gentle, and Brian seemed to break through. "No one is going to hurt you like that ever again."

"Do you promise?" Brian croaked.

"Yes." Tara breathed. Brian dropped the scalpel and Tara hurried forward. "Brian, this is for your own protection, okay? We're taking you into custody for your own safety."

"Tara?" Brian seemed disoriented as he looked around. "Oh God, what did I do?"

Spencer watched as Tara, JJ and Victoria walked outside with Brian. Spencer and Luke worked on releasing Daniel Cullen from his restraints. Spencer noticed the anger simmering beneath Luke's scowl.

"Thank you," croaked Daniel.

"No, don't thank us," Luke spat, "you're under arrest." His face was mere inches from Daniel's, who looked dazed.

"Okay, for what? What did I do?" Daniel replied.

Spencer lifted his chin in realization. "Peter Lewis must've dosed him to make him lose his memory so we couldn't get any answers out of him."

Luke looked at Spencer, exasperated, before turning back to Daniel. "No, we've met. Three years ago. Hm? What's my name? What's my partner's name?"

"I-I don't know." Daniel shrank back.

"You're faking it." Luke snarled.

"Luke." Spencer warned.

"You're faking it! What's your name? What's your name? Say it!" Luke yelled.

"I-I don't know! Tell me, please!" Daniel cried. Spencer cuffed Daniel and led him out of the house. He helped him into the back of squad car. Victoria stood near the street, her arms crossed as she watched the police car with Brian in it drive away. Spencer joined her.

"You okay?" he asked.

Victoria looked at him. "He doesn't deserve prison. Peter Lewis did this, not him."

Spencer put his hands in his pockets. "I know. But a jury won't see that."

"Not unless we catch him." Victoria retorted.

Spencer met her gaze. "We will."

The flight home was quiet, the team worn out from the case. Spencer's thoughts wandered as he drove home. Victoria had fallen asleep in the car, her head leaning against the window. Spencer glanced at her, his brow furrowing slightly. Scratch knew they were married. Scratch had both of their personal information. The sick bastard was toying with them, waiting to strike. Spencer hated the idea that Scratch had any information on the team. But he especially hated Scratch knowing that Victoria was his wife. What if Spencer couldn't protect her?

As soon as they got inside the apartment, Spencer pulled Victoria close to him. He kissed her deeply, which she returned, though her eyelids seemed heavy. When Spencer broke off the kiss, Victoria frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

Spencer gazed at her for a moment. "You weren't part of the Scratch case a couple of years ago. But I remember how Hotch was after it, and I remember seeing the victims of it… I'm sorry. Peter Lewis had my information and he knows we're married. Some part of me had hoped, no matter how stupid it was, that he didn't know about you. But he does, and he probably knows just as much about you as he does about me. I… I just don't want him to hurt you."

"He won't. He won't touch us. We'll catch him." Victoria promised, placing a hand on Spencer's cheek.

He covered her hand with his. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Victoria nodded. "You're right. But we know the risks of working together, especially with this job. There's always that chance that something could happen. But I will do everything I can to protect you and you'd do the same."

"Of course I would," Spencer said firmly, "I love you."

Victoria smiled. "I love you, too."

Spencer bent his head to kiss her again. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Spencer carried her to the bedroom and shut the door with his foot.

 **…**

 **I have a research paper due in three weeks, so updates might slow. At least the week of April 14, don't expect an update because that's when my paper is due. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	53. Chapter 53

**_Taboo_**

Victoria stood in Rossi's office, her arms crossed. He looked as if he wanted a strong drink, but muttered something about it only being eight-thirty in the morning. Victoria tugged on her ponytail nervously. "Will they transfer one of us?"

Rossi shrugged. "Hell if I know," he muttered. He ran a hand over his face. "We will do everything we can to not let that happen. But fraternization policies are rather strict."

"We did everything we're supposed to, though. We signed the paperwork, we went to the counseling, and I resigned as the team's counselor… Hell, I even talked to Cramer!" Victoria's heart pounded. "No offense, but why isn't Hotch dealing with this?"

"He's on an assignment," said Rossi. "Don't worry, kiddo. I won't let them transfer one of you. You're right, you've done everything you can. It's unusual for team members to be married, so there aren't really any rules against it, but the Bureau doesn't want to risk a disaster."

"I understand that, but… I mean, really, Spence and I have loved each other for a while, and we haven't let our relationship get in the way of our job. I mean, there was that small matter of Korey… But that was before Spence and I even knew about each other."

"I know, kiddo. Look, the Bureau just doesn't want to risk sexual harassment lawsuits. As long as the two of you can…" Rossi chuckled. "As long as the two of you don't try to indulge in marital bliss on the premises, I think you should be fine."

Victoria felt her face redden from her chin to the roots of her hair. "Look, if they try… Transfer me, not him."

"Victoria…"

"He's been with the team longer than I have. And if we have kids one day, we wouldn't both be able to be a part of this team. There's too much travel involved. So, if they push for a transfer, do it to me. Okay?" Victoria stared Rossi down, who sighed and nodded after a moment of consideration.

"Okay, kiddo." He sounded tired.

Victoria leaned over his desk and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Dave."

"Mhm. Get outta here." Rossi said, waving her off. But Victoria saw the soft glimmer in his eyes and smiled. She left the office. Her subtle twitch of her lips fanned into a grin when she saw none other than Emily Prentiss talking with Spencer and JJ, a box of doughnuts in her hands. Victoria started toward them.

"Where's Victoria? I haven't seen her." Emily was saying as Victoria approached them.

"Right here!" Victoria announced. Emily turned and grinned. They embraced, swaying a little bit before pulling back.

"Want a doughnut?" Emily offered, holding out the box to Victoria.

"Hell yeah, I do," Victoria said, opening the box. She picked out a chocolate-iced doughnut and bit into the fluffy goodness.

"How's married life treating the two of you?" Emily drawled suggestively.

Victoria exchanged a glance with Spencer, flashing back to the last night. Gauging the pinking of his cheeks, Victoria knew he was remembering, too. "Really great."

Emily and JJ giggled, which only furthered Spencer's embarrassment. Victoria winked at him and giggled with the other two. Emily sat her purse on Luke's mostly empty desk. "Oh, that's actually Luke Alvez's desk." Spencer warned.

"Really? It looks empty." Emily frowned.

"Yeah, uh, he travels light." JJ shrugged.

"Garcia said he's ex-army, came over from the fugitive Taskforce?" Emily commented, moving her things to the empty desk across from Luke's.

"Yeah, you're gonna like him." Spencer replied.

"You know, the lack of personal effects on his desk could stem from his days as a fugitive hunter. He probably felt like he was never in one place long enough to dig in. I mean, no family photos, no significant others… Not even a plant to overwater. I mean this Alvez could be a real loner type. Somebody could've done a real number on this guy. An ex maybe. I mean, no doubt the army taught him order and discipline, but a desk like this could mean he has commitment issues." As Emily had talked, Victoria's heated in embarrassment for her. She tried not to laugh, watching Luke, who stood right behind Emily, who looked torn between amusement and irritation. Emily blanched, seeing Spencer, JJ and Victoria's faces. "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?"

Victoria's composure snapped and a giggled escaped her throat. JJ gripped Victoria's sleeve as she hid her red face to muffle her laughter, too. Only Spencer managed to keep from laughing, though from the waver in his voice, Victoria knew he was barely managing to swallow his laughter. "Luke Alvez, meet Emily Prentiss."

Emily wheeled around and shook Luke's hand. "Hey. Nice to meet you."

"Hey." Luke shot Victoria an amused glance over Emily's shoulder. Victoria tried to laugh silently, but she only succeeded in making herself look ridiculous by holding in her laughter.

"Emily used to be part of our team, and now she's the unit chief for Interpol in London." Spencer said.

"Yeah, she's agreed to help us out while Hotch is off on a TDY and Lewis works on her research." JJ added, sounding as though she had finally managed to control her giggles.

Victoria took deep breaths to calm herself, finally feeling the heat drain from her face. "I'm also on temporary duty, so I'll be in and out. I'll be working on and off. I'm on today," said Emily. Victoria and JJ looked at each other, and the silent torment of trying to hold in their laughter began again. Emily shot them a glare as she continued, "Obviously. I'm just… I'm really happy that I could, uh, come back, you know, and help. Truth be told, it's pretty hard to resist putting the band back together again, so…" Emily trailed off as JJ and Victoria's silent laughter broke into audible giggles. "Yeah, so, I'm here to help."

"Well, we have a lot on our plate." Luke replied.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear…" Garcia muttered as she marched past to the conference room.

"Speaking of which, looks like we have a case." said JJ, sobering.

Luke followed Garcia to the conference room. Spencer glanced at Emily with a smirk before following him. Emily turned to JJ and Victoria, her face resembling exasperation and horror. "Really smooth, guys. You covered that _so_ well." she scolded.

Victoria snorted. "So did you."

Emily rolled her eyes, but the three of them hurried up to the conference room for the briefing.

After a moment between Garcia and Emily, Victoria turned her attention to the screen. Penelope flashed images of a container full of cement. A few fingers had broken through the surface of the hardened cement. Victoria's stomach squirmed. "So you know how I like to sometimes say something clever before I say something sad and disturbing to self-soothe? To that end, uh, please make sure your seatbacks and your tray tables are in their fully upright positions because yesterday in south Florida, the body of a woman was found encase in concrete in a fifty-five gallon drum. Lisa Barclay, thirty-five, single mom, lived with her thirteen year old son in Boynton Beach." Garcia clicked a button on her remote and an image of the victim pre-murder flashed onto the screen, along with a picture of her son.

"If she was encased in concrete, how'd they ID her?" JJ asked.

Garcia clicked another button, zooming in on the few fingers poking out of the concrete. "Because the ME was able to match prints from three of her fingers that broke through the surface." she answered.

"When did she go missing?" Emily asked.

"About a week ago. Where'd they find the drum?" Rossi replied.

"At an illegal dumpsite. Some teenagers found it." Penelope replied, sounding breathless with horror.

"Uh, local PD needs to canvass the area for more possible victims." said JJ.

Penelope nodded. "They're doing that right now."

"Any signs of sexual assault?" said Luke.

"That is unclear at this time because they're still removing the concrete from her body." Penelope replied, rather snappishly. Victoria raised her eyebrows at the exchange but refrained from commenting.

"Burying his victims like this may be the unsub's form of torture." Emily muttered.

"It could be a forensic countermeasure." suggested Rossi.

"Or a sign of remorse or undoing." said Spencer.

"Unfortunately all of you could be right because…" Penelope clicked on her remote and a new, more disturbing image popped onto the screen.

Victoria gaped at it. "Is… Is that…?"

"An ultrasound of the drum," Penelope confirmed in a whisper. She zoomed in on the picture, which focused on the face of the Lisa Barclay within the cement. Her jaw was open and her eyes were squeezed shut, eternally screaming for help that would never come.

Victoria tore her eyes away from the picture when Rossi spoke. "Lisa Barclay was still alive when he put her in there."

…

After visiting the ME's office, with Spencer's stomach still churning at the sight of Lisa Barclay's body still in cement, Spencer and Luke entered the conference room at the PD. Victoria and JJ had set up, but Emily had returned with David from visiting the crime scene.

"He's mixing his own cement." Luke announced.

Victoria looked up, her brow furrowed slightly. Spencer took a seat beside her. "Which means he has the skills to do it." he said.

"So, he could be mixing at the site?" Victoria asked, reiterating her argument from the jet.

Luke grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I think you might be right."

Victoria brightened, seeming pleased with herself. Spencer smiled proudly. They sat around spit-balling ideas. Spencer felt as if he were one of his theory classes from grad school. They tried to draw connections only to stop short at other ideas because the theories didn't work out. There were no reasons for Lisa Barclay to be killed for her job, because there was no evidence of fraud. Emily and JJ went to interview the son of the first victim –who they had originally thought was the second, but she was only found second –while Spencer, Victoria and Luke continued to throw out theories.

That evening, they received the grim news that another woman, another single mother, had gone missing. Spencer heard the announcement on the news that the search for Kim Conti was well under way. He dressed into his pajamas, taking care not to slip on the wet floor. He wiped the fog of the mirror and checked that no facial hair had made a sudden appearance. Satisfied, he stepped out of the bathroom. He groaned at the time. One in the morning. They'd been working to try and find Kim Conti all night, but law enforcement needed sleep, too. Victoria sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the black TV screen. Spencer sat beside her.

"You okay?" He slipped his hand inside hers.

"Yeah," Victoria muttered, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just… What a horrible way to die."

"I know." Spencer kissed her hairline. "Let's get some sleep. We'll catch him." They crawled underneath the covers. Victoria turned off the light and snuggled closer to him. Spencer's lips twitched with a sleepy smile and he pulled her close. It didn't take long for sleep to come to him.

…

Victoria headed to the ME's office with Spencer, her chest feeling a bit hollow. The unsub had wasted no time in killing Kim Conti. Another boy had lost his mother. Another woman was dead. Victoria felt for these victims, since she had been raised by a single mother. Spencer probably connected a bit as well, but he was better at separating the two. Victoria couldn't help but feel for the victims and their families.

"I hate to use the word luck in this situation, but it was fortunate you found the body so quickly. The concrete had no time to cure completely." said the ME.

"She has the same ligature marks as Lisa Barclay." Spencer said, bent over to examine the body.

"The COD is the same, too. She drowned in the concrete." said the ME.

"Any sign of sexual assault?" Victoria murmured, tearing her gaze from the body.

"I'm still conducting my exam." The ME sounded rueful. "But I can tell you that based on core body temperature and lividity, time of death was about two hours ago."

Victoria felt as if she swallowed a chunk of concrete. Two hours. Kim Conti had been alive two hours ago. Victoria shivered and crossed her arms, suddenly feeling quite cold. "She went missing eighteen hours ago, but he kept her alive for some reason. I see that there's tissue damage. Have you tested that?" Spencer said, peering at Kim Conti's nostrils.

"Not yet. But concrete itself can be corrosive." said the ME.

"There appears to be more damage here. Do you have a light I can borrow?" Spencer asked. The ME handed over a small flashlight. "Thanks. It's chemical burns. Look."

Victoria and the ME both leaned over while Spencer shined the light. Victoria glanced at her husband. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking concrete may not have been the only factor in her death." said Spencer, straightening. Victoria frowned, meeting his gaze as they shared a silent sorrow for the lost Kim Conti.

…

Spencer popped a cold French fry into his mouth. He had finished his coffee about an hour ago, and was still hungry. Stake-outs were never a fun experience. Victoria sat with her knees up to her chest, gazing out the windshield with glazed eyes. Spencer touched her arm. She jumped, looking around blearily. Spencer got the feeling that she had been asleep with her eyes open. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Victoria croaked. She sounded less than okay.

"Wanna talk about it?" Spencer prompted, pushing himself up from his slouch.

Victoria said nothing for a long time. Then, she inhaled deeply. "I just feel so bad for these victims. I guess I haven't really learned to separate myself from the case yet."

Spencer licked his lips as he furrowed his brow. "Sometimes that can be a good thing."

"Yeah, but… I don't know, I just keep seeing my mom in these victims. And their kids… God, I hate to think what's going to happen to some of them. If my mom had died, we would've been sent to my dad's, and… Well, that wouldn't have been good." Victoria's voice trembled.

Spencer folded his arms. "I know, baby," he offered helplessly. "How did you separate yourself from your patients?"

"Well, I didn't with you guys." Victoria smirked. "I married one."

Spencer smiled. "But the others?"

"I don't know," Victoria admitted heavily, "I don't think I really did separate myself. Maybe that's why people liked to come to me versus some of my colleagues. I was told I really cared. And I did. But… I took a lot of those cases home with me."

"Victoria…" Spencer sighed, shaking his head. He knew all too well the baggage that came with the job, and the importance of separating oneself from the case. "You'll get better at it. You'll have to, if you don't want it to destroy you."

Victoria looked at him. "What if it does?"

"It won't," Spencer promised, meeting her tearful gaze. "That's why we're more than a team. You have to talk to us. We know what it feels like. Garcia found a way to combat it, and you'll find a way, too. It's not easy to disconnect yourself from the case. I learned that the hard way, too."

Victoria held out her hand. Spencer took it immediately. Victoria squeezed his fingers. "You want kids."

Spencer's eyebrows raised. She hadn't asked. She knew. They had talked about it before, but never seriously. "Yeah. I do, someday. But only when you're ready. If you want them, too."

"I do," Victoria assured him, "just… not yet. I think we need some time to be married first."

Spencer smiled. "Yeah. I understand."

Victoria let go of his hand. She grimaced as she shifted in her seat. "My ass is numb."

Spencer laughed. "Mine, too." He jumped when his rear vibrated. He pulled his phone out of his pocket as Victoria snickered at him. "Hey, Prentiss."

"Let's call it a night. I have a feeling he knows we're here." said Prentiss in the phone. Spencer nodded.

"Okay, we'll meet you at the PD." Spencer said. He hung up.

Victoria started the car. "He's not here?"

"That's what Emily thinks."

They returned to the PD, where Rossi handed them fresh cups of coffee. They bounced off ideas, trying to narrow down the case. Victoria suggested that even though there were no signs of sexual assault that the use of a lover's lane as a dumpsite suggested a sexual component. Luke and Rossi figured that the unsub was rejected there. Emily pointed out that the unsub would start devolving since they had made it impossible for him to revisit the crime scenes. After that, they called it a night.

The next morning, they hypothesized some more. They knew from the chemical burns that the unsub was using chlorine to perform lobotomies on his victims. Spencer told them that damage to the frontal lobe resulted in memory loss and personality change. Lobotomies were used to fix patients of mental disorders. The sexual components of the crime scenes suggested that sex was an important factor for the unsub. The team deduced that the unsub wanted to cure the single moms of their sexuality, probably based on someone the unsub once knew who probably rejected him. Garcia helped narrow it down to Lynelle Barker who was in a car crash at age fifteen that killed her father and she was later diagnosed with Kluver-Bucy Syndrome. Spencer xplained that the disorder was associated with frontal lobe damage.

"One of its major symptoms is hypersexuality." he said.

"If Lynelle Barker was acting out sexually, she may have a husband or a boyfriend who was upset by it." JJ surmised.

"Garcia, was she getting treatment?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, a month ago she started seeing a therapist and took medication."

"That's when Sharon Landon went missing." said Emily.

"If the victims were surrogates of Lynelle, and she was no longer hypersexual thanks to her treatment, why would the unsub suddenly start killing?" asked Rossi.

"Garcia, can you check males age thirty-five to forty that would've been in Lynelle's circle of family and friends?" Luke asked.

"Bien sur, je peux." Penelope replied.

"The lover's lane, the crude lobotomies, the possible dysfunction… This could all speak to the unsub's youth." Spencer said.

"Garcia, refine your search to men between eighteen and twenty-five." said Rossi.

"Refining… Lynelle has a twenty year old brother named Stuart. He lives with his mother in West Palm Beach." said Penelope.

"Sixteen years is a big age difference between siblings." JJ commented.

"That's because Stuart was adopted. Gloria Barker adopted him a year after Lynelle and Gloria's husband were in that car crash. And brace yourselves because methinks I'm about to uncover some family dirt of the hidden variety… Okay, just days before Gloria adopted Stuart, Lynelle, then sixteen, had a baby. And I am prying open the sealed adoption records now… And um… Yeah, guess what?" Penelope said.

"Stuart's sister is actually his mother." Spencer replied.

"Uh-huh." Penelope said.

"And the woman he thought was his mother is actually his grandmother." said Emily.

"Guys, Stuart does repairs at a place called Blue Breeze Pools that have worked at all three condo complexes." said Penelope.

"Was he working the days the victims disappeared?" Rossi asked.

"Yahtzee! Go get him!" Penelope chirped.

"Send us his home and work addresses." said Luke as the team geared up to go.

"Oh, newbie," said Penelope, "already sent."

…

The flight home was quiet, as usual. The BAU members lounged in their seats with headphones or a book in hand, or slumped against the armrests and dozed off. Victoria put on her headphones and listened to the Mass Effect score and closed her eyes. Spencer sat beside her, his arm brushing hers as he delved into a book. Victoria dozed off, and before she knew it, Spencer was shaking her awake. The jet dipped gradually, sending Victoria's swooping up to her throat, until if finally touched the ground. The night was still rather young, so Penelope proposed that they go out. Victoria and Spencer shared a glance.

"I could use a drink." Victoria said.

Spencer nodded. "Me, too."

Victoria smirked. "So soon in our marriage?"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Shut up." He nudged her affectionately with his shoulder. Victoria grinned. They promised to meet the rest of the team at O'Keefe's. Victoria drove, since Spencer was not too fond of that particular activity. "We haven't had a scary movie night in a long time."

Victoria parked the car and looked at him. "That's true."

Spencer looked at her. "Want to tomorrow night?"

"Sure." Victoria replied. She leaned over to kiss his cheek. She felt his cheek pop with his smile. He turned toward her and caught her lips with his. The kiss started out chaste, but Spencer's hand cupped her neck and Victoria felt dizziness toy with her eyes. She parted her lips to deepen the kiss. Spencer's tongue traced her bottom lip and entered her mouth. "We're going to be late." Victoria whispered.

"I don't care." Spencer breathed back. Victoria smirked and sucked on his bottom lip. Spencer gasped. A tapping on the window stopped Victoria's heart and she jumped away from Spencer. She blushed when she saw Rossi knocking on the window, one eyebrow raised and his lips quirked in a knowing smirk. He left them, barely containing a grin. Victoria looked at Spencer, who grimaced awkwardly. Victoria giggled, and Spencer's face broke out in a grin as he laughed, too. Once they recovered themselves, they got out of the car.

"We can continue it later." Victoria promised, slipping her hand into his.

Spencer looked down at her. "Don't say that or else I'll want to leave now."

Victoria chuckled and kissed his cheek. They entered the bar, where Emily, JJ, Penelope and Rossi waited at the bar.

"How are you guys late? You left before us!" Emily cried.

"Oh, they were busy." said Rossi.

"Oh," said JJ, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

"Not like _that_." Spencer insisted.

"Sort of like that," said Rossi. "They were making out like two teenagers."

"Do you two need your own lover's lane escape?" Emily sniggered, referencing the case.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Are you guys gonna tease us all night?"

"Probably not as much as you'll tease Reid later." said Penelope, exaggerating a suggestive wink.

Victoria and Spencer exchanged a glance. "I'm gonna need a drink to deal with this." Victoria said, waving the bartender over. She heard Spencer mutter an agreement. They ordered some drinks and braved the comments and innuendos from the rest of the team. Eventually, JJ relented.

"All right, I'm sure they're sick of our teasing," she said. "I remember when Will and I first got married. It's something about that first year of marriage. And the two of you waited until your wedding night!"

"You did?" said Emily, frowning. Victoria blushed.

"Yeah." said Spencer, putting an arm around Victoria's waist. She leaned into him.

"That's great." said Emily, finishing off her drink.

"Yeah, it's impressive." said Penelope.

"All right, all right," said Rossi, waving his hands. "I don't need to hear about the Reids' sex life."

Victoria grinned. "Yeah, and we don't wanna talk about it."

"We'll save it for a proper girls' night." said Emily.

"Let's dance! I need to dance off some of these beer calories." said Penelope. She dragged Victoria to the dance floor with her. The others ladies followed. Eventually, Spencer joined in. Rossi went home after a while. Victoria did her best to make Spencer blush on the dance floor. She felt rather silly, as she was not a good dancer, but after a while, he took her by the hand, insisting they go home.

"Go enjoy the benefits of marriage!" JJ called after them.

"Go make me some godbabies!" Penelope yelped.

Victoria rolled her eyes, laughing. Spencer attacked Victoria's mouth with his once they were in the car. "Someone's eager." Victoria breathed.

"You know exactly what you were doing in there." Spencer growled, cupping her face with his hands. No matter how sexually hungry he was, he took care to be gentle and loving. Victoria loosened his tie.

"Yeah, I do." she teased.

Spencer kissed along her jawline and toward her ear. "It was hot." His voice sounded small and unsure. He was still a bit shy when it came to whispering sweet nothings, but Victoria loved him for it.

"Well, why don't we get home to finish this?" Victoria suggested rather breathlessly.

Spencer pulled back, his cheeks flushed and his hair messier than usual. "Good idea."

When they got home, Spencer shut and locked the front door before turning to Victoria. He cupped her neck with his hands and kissed her deeply. Victoria ran her hands down Spencer's chest. She felt him push her back against the wall. Victoria unbuttoned his shirt and unfastened his tie completely, leaving his shirt open and the tie hanging around his neck. She felt his hands roaming her body. She followed suit. Her arms wrapped around his neck. His hands reached under her rear, and she jumped slightly, wrapping her legs around his waist. He carried her to the couch, where he laid on top of her. They didn't even strip entirely. Spencer unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. Victoria rolled up her skirt and parted her legs for him. Spencer dove back for her mouth. Victoria whimpered as he entered her. She gripped his hair as their bodies spoke the language of eros.

When they finished, they laid there, trembling and gasping for breath. Victoria gazed into Spencer's eyes as he caught his breath. "Sorry. Normally I'd, um, try to last a bit longer."

"I enjoyed it." Victoria shrugged.

"Are you…?"

"Satisfied?" Victoria finished Spencer's unspoken question. "Yes."

Spencer looked relieved. He relaxed, allowing some of his bodyweight to fall upon Victoria. "I worry that… That you might…"

"Spence," Victoria muttered. They pulled apart and resituated themselves, fixing their clothing and cleaning up. "If I were with you just for sex… I'd've left a long time ago. I'm the one who wanted to wait, remember?"

"I-I know," Spencer muttered. They dressed into their pajamas and crawled into bed. Even though Spencer turned off the light, Victoria could tell her husband was still awake.

"What's bothering you?"

"I told you about when I was in high school that I got bullied a lot." Spencer said.

"Yeah." Victoria snuggled closer to him. "And if I ever meet those people, you'll have to hold me back from attacking them."

She felt Spencer chuckle softly. "Noted," he assured her. They were quiet for a while. "I told you about that time that the football team and cheerleaders tied me to a goal post after beating me up."

"Yeah." Victoria murmured sleepily.

"I didn't tell you that they stripped me naked before doing it."

Victoria's eyes flashed open. "They did _what_?"

"It's not a big deal anymore," Spencer assured her, "I just… If I seem uncomfortable when I'm… um, naked, that's probably why."

Victoria said nothing for several seconds. "You know that I would never do anything like that to hurt you, right?"

"Of course."

"I'm sorry they did that to you."

"I'm not. It helped make me who I am."

"That won't stop me from hurting them if I ever meet them."

"Hopefully you won't have to, for their sake."

Victoria sighed. "If it makes you feel better, I think you're really sexy."

Spencer laughed. "I-I've never really thought of myself in that way."

Victoria propped herself up and kissed the corner of his mouth. He turned his head so that she could kiss his lips better. "Well, you are."

"So are you." Spencer murmured. Victoria settled back into the pillows and curled closer to him.

"I love you." she sighed.

Spencer wrapped his arms around her, pulling her so that her back was flat against his chest. "I love you, too."

 **…**

 **Sorry for the later update… As the semester draws to a close, updates will slow. With 3 research papers due at the same time, that's just inevitable. I will update, because this is a stress reliever, and I'll need that in my life, it just won't be as often as every week. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you guys thought by leaving a review!**


	54. Chapter 54

**_Keeper_**

The case near the Appalachian Trail stressed Victoria to no end. This unsub tossed out chopped-up body parts and disappeared in the woods. Tara and Alvez had managed to apprehend a violent homeless man in the woods. They'd taken him to the police station to interrogate him. Victoria, Spencer, JJ and Rossi had gone to a local pizza joint where the latest victim had been seen. Victoria entered the pizza joint with JJ to talk with the manager.

The manager, a man named Jerry, assumed a helpful demeanor when he spotted Victoria and JJ. "What can I do for you, ladies?"

"We need to ask you a few questions about this man." said JJ, showing the manager a picture of their missing man.

"Oh, yeah, Howard. Howard Walker. He comes by just about every Friday for pizza and beer for the family." said Jerry.

"So it's a routine for him?" Victoria queried.

"Yeah, 'suppose so." said Jerry.

"I doubt that the unsub stalked him, though." JJ muttered.

Victoria nodded in agreement. "Did you happen to see anything?"

"Nah," said Jerry. "I only noticed his truck was still here probably half an hour after he got his stuff and walked out. Sorry if that's not too helpful."

Victoria shrugged. "Every little bit helps. Do you have any security cameras?"

Jerry shook his head ruefully. "None that would get the angle of where Howard was parked."

Victoria exchanged a glance with JJ. They had what they needed. Victoria turned back to Jerry. "Thank you for your time."

"No problem," said Jerry. "Oh, uh, cute glasses by the way."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you." she chirped. She and JJ walked out of the pizza joint. JJ suppressed a giggle as they closed the door behind them.

"Victim's name is Howard Walker." JJ announced to Spencer and Rossi.

"He was picking up pizza and beer for the family." Victoria added.

"We're half a mile or more from where Lewis and Alvez apprehended the unsub." Spencer said, glancing toward the trees. The wind caught his hair as he looked back.

"It's a long way to transport the victim if the unsub doesn't have a vehicle." said JJ.

"Well, we disrupted his normal routine." Rossi added.

Spencer's phone beeped. He glanced down at it. Victoria frowned as she watched a shadow flicker across Spencer's brow. He walked away to call someone. Victoria watched him for a moment, gauging his body language. Victoria watched his shoulders tense and he bowed his head, murmuring to keep the others from hearing. JJ nudged Victoria with her shoulder.

"Go to him." JJ whispered.

Victoria nodded, giving Rossi and JJ a grateful glance before walking over to Spencer, her arms crossed. The slight inclination of his head told her that he heard her approach. His voice lowered. Victoria caught a few words –"mom," "not your fault," "nothing to be ashamed of." Spencer raised his voice slightly as Victoria drew closer. "All right, I love you too. I'll talk to you later. Bye." Spencer hung up.

"Everything okay, Spence?" JJ asked.

Spencer turned toward her with a small glance in Victoria's direction. "Yeah."

Victoria, JJ and Rossi scowled at him. "Spencer." Victoria scolded.

Spencer looked at his shoes. "No," he admitted. "That was the Las Vegas Police Department. They found my mom wandering a casino. She didn't know who or where she was."

"Is she okay now?" JJ asked.

"Yeah, they put her on the phone. She sounded normal, just… Obviously embarrassed, you know, by all the fuss." Spencer replied. He kept his gaze downward and his hands in his pockets. Victoria wanted to give a big middle finger to protocol and wrap her arms around her husband. But she refrained.

"You should go." Rossi muttered.

"I can't do that. We're right in the middle of a case." Spencer protested.

"Hey. We'll be fine here. Go." said Rossi.

"Rossi's right, Spence. This is a priority." JJ said.

Spencer looked at Victoria, who nodded. He scrunched his lips to one side thoughtfully before nodding. "Okay. Thanks. I'm gonna go to the M.E.'s office and grab something for Prentiss, but I'll leave first thing in the morning and spend a day or two."

"Take all the time you need." Rossi said.

Spencer looked at Victoria, whose heart dangled from her last rib, just above her stomach. She offered him the tiniest smile, but couldn't ignore the sinking of her chest. Spencer was going away again. She would miss him. She always did. "Wanna come to the M.E.'s office with me?" Spencer asked.

Victoria inhaled sharply. "Sure." They walked toward the car. Victoria let Spencer drive and slid into the passenger seat. They were quiet for a long time.

"Are you mad at me?" Spencer's voice sounded small.

Victoria frowned. "No. Why would I be mad?"

"I'm going away again."

"Spencer, this is important. I understand why you're going. I mean, I'll miss you, but you have to take care of your mom." Victoria replied.

"I'd like for you to come with me, if possible." Spencer said. Victoria glanced at him.

"Really?"

Spencer nodded. Victoria noticed him readjust his grip on the steering wheel, his fingers rippling outward before curling around the wheel and turning his knuckles white. Victoria reached over and placed her hand on the back of his neck and played with his hair. His eyes fluttered shut for a millisecond. Spencer cleared his throat. "It helps to have you there. I-I don't think I want to sleep alone after seeing her like that."

Victoria nodded. "Then I'll go."

Spencer visibly relaxed. "Really?"

"Of course. I told you that I'm here for you, no matter what. I know there's not much I can do in this situation, but I want help you in whatever way I can." Victoria promised.

Spencer glanced at her, his lips twitching with a smile. "I love you."

Victoria returned his smile. "I love you, too."

When they arrived at the M.E.'s office, Victoria squeezed Spencer's arm before getting out of the car. They kept space between them after that. They entered the morgue, where the M.E. had bits of body parts spread out. The room reeked of iodoform to mask the smell of decay. IT was disinfectant laced with rot, and it tickled the back Victoria's throat, threatening a gag.

"The report you requested is almost ready and forensics said you're gonna come pick this up as well." said the M.E., handing Spencer a brown bag.

"Thank you." Spencer said, taking the bag.

"I understand you've identified the remains of the female victim?" asked the M.E.

"We're fairly certain it's Kylie Fleming but we're waiting on DNA samples from her family." replied Spencer.

"What do we know about the latest two victims?" Victoria asked.

"Same as the first four. White males, age roughly forty to fifty. Both sets of remains around a month old," said the M.E. shortly. When she looked at Spencer, her gaze softened. Victoria raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Anyway, your report should be ready. Let me go check." The M.E. left the room.

Spencer noticed Victoria's pursed lips as she tried to hide a laugh. "What?"

Victoria shrugged. "I'll tell you later."

Spencer frowned but his phone rang. Victoria's heart stuttered in her chest. Was it another call about Diana? Had something happened? "Hey Rossi, what's up?" Spencer said. Victoria relaxed. Spencer frowned. "We tried, but the remains are too degraded." Spencer said. He waited a moment while Rossi talked. "I'll have the M.E. take a second sample, but why?" Victoria watched Spencer's frown fade into wide eyes and his jaw slackened with realization. "Fourteen months? That's about how long ago John Doe number one was killed."

Rossi said something that sounded like an affirmation, and Spencer hung up. Victoria folded her arms. "What was that about?" she asked.

"We think that the unsub's first victim was his brother." Spencer answered. Victoria glanced at the decayed remains of the first victim, spread out on the table next to her. She suppressed a shiver.

…

As Spencer backed out of his parking spot at the M.E.'s office, he remembered that Victoria had promised to tell him something. "So, what were you laughing at in there?" Spencer asked, putting the SUV into gear and headed for the long road back to the BAU.

"Oh," Victoria chuffed, "the M.E. was sweet on you."

Spencer frowned. "She was? I didn't notice."

"You didn't hear her tone of voice when she talked to me compared to when she talked to you?" Victoria sounded incredulous.

Spencer glanced at her, his brow furrowing. He pursed his lips thoughtfully. He reflected on the conversation, running through the sequence in his head verbatim. "I guess."

Victoria snorted. "I nearly got frostbite from the cold in her tone."

Spencer's eyebrows shot up. A smile spread across his face. "Really?"

"I'm exaggerating just a little," Victoria muttered, "but yeah. She was definitely sweet on you. She thought you were cute."

Victoria reached over and pinched Spencer's cheek. He shrugged his shoulder to knock her hand away without letting go of the wheel. "Stop," he complained, smirking. "I just thought she was being nice."

"Mm." Victoria murmured, folding her arms. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Spencer glanced over at her and smiled softly. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too." Victoria replied without opening her eyes.

Spencer's lips twitched. "Sleepy?"

Victoria looked at him through heavy lids. "Yeah," she sighed. Then she mumbled out a laugh. "You've been wearing me out."

Spencer would have blushed if they had been around the team, but since it was just Victoria, he laughed. "You weren't complaining last night."

"Whoa," Victoria drawled, chuckling, "did you just make a sex joke?"

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, I've made sex jokes before!"

"Have not."

"Have to."

"Not."

"Have."

"Haven't."

"Victoria, I have an eidetic memory, I can recall the jokes I've made verbatim!"

"Well, apparently they weren't memorable enough for me." Victoria teased.

Spencer looked at his wife, his lips parted in an exasperated smile. "Well, I guess I'll have to work harder."

Victoria smirked in triumph. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "What's in the bag?"

Spencer glanced back at the brown paper bag that the M.E. gave him. "A muzzle."

"Of course there is," Victoria muttered. "Oh, what did you do for work Monday? I drove around with muzzle that a killer made his victims wear. Oh, cool."

Spencer chuckled. The car lapsed into silence as Victoria drifted off. Spencer pulled up to the BAU headquarters. He reached over and poked Victoria's arm. "Hey, we're here."

Victoria inhaled deeply as she straightened in her chair. She unclicked her seatbelt and hopped out of the car. Spencer grabbed the brown paper bag and got out of the car, too. He circled the SUV and waited for Victoria to stop stretching. They entered the BAU together. Spencer's lips twitched in amusement when he saw Emily, her head resting on her arms on her desk. She jerked awake as Spencer approached. Victoria sat at her desk to research flights to Las Vegas to visit Diana.

"I didn't hear you come in." Emily frowned.

"You looked like you were sleeping," Spencer smiled. He handed her the bag.

"Thank you," Emily sighed. She set the bag down and her eyebrows twitched toward each other. "I heard about your mom. Spencer, I'm so sorry."

Spencer's chest tightened sharply. "It's okay," he lied. His mind raced to gloss over the pain he was sure Emily profiled projecting off of him. "Luckily, there's a clinical trial Johns Hopkins. It's happening at just the right time."

"Hey," said Luke, joining Spencer and Emily, "I'm heading to the crime scene. We're thinking now that Todd did Cormac?"

"Timeline works out." Spencer affirmed.

"Brother against brother. That's tough." Luke said.

"According to the Bible, fratricide was the first murder committed." Spencer replied.

"That's interesting," said Luke, though he sounded a bit spacey. "Um, Todd's all yours, Prentiss. I'll see you guys later."

Victoria walked over, her arms folded across her chest. She stifled a yawn. Spencer patted her back in a gesture that could be construed as tender friendship. Emily stood. "We'll talk later, okay?" she said, hugging Spencer. He squeezed his friend, ignoring the jab in his chest. "Take care of him, Victoria." Emily added, giving Victoria's elbow a squeeze.

"Always." Victoria promised. Spencer smiled at her.

"Any flights?" he asked.

Victoria shook her head. "Not tonight. The earliest flight is tomorrow at seven."

"We can do that." Spencer shrugged.

"Hey, giant brain. When do you guys leave?" said Penelope, rounding around the Reids.

"Tomorrow morning at seven." Spencer replied, glancing at Victoria.

"Bon voyage." Penelope said, waving as she backed away from them. Spencer's phone rang. He picked up and waved to Penelope with a smile. He mouthed a farewell to her as she blew kisses.

"Dr. Spencer Reid?" said a woman's voice.

"Yes?" Spencer said.

"Hello, Dr. Reid. I'm Marie Terrance with the clinical trial at Johns Hopkins. Unfortunately, I have news about your mother's place in the trial." said the woman.

Spencer's heart plummeted. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He cleared his throat. "What's wrong?"

"I'm afraid we had to choose some of the participants to exclude from the trial due to budget cuts. Unfortunately, Diana Reid's name was chosen. I am very sorry to have to inform you of this." said Marie.

Spencer swallowed a few times. "Th-thank you for letting me know. Bye." Spencer hung up the phone, dazed.

"You're still here. Don't you have a suitcase to pack?" Rossi asked.

Spencer sank into a chair. "We're not going."

Victoria looked at him. "Why not?"

"The Johns Hopkins trial clinical trial, turns out my mom wasn't chosen." Spencer breathed.

"I'm sorry, Reid. What happened?" Rossi replied.

"Budget constraints. The study had to randomly reduce the number of participants and my mom's name was drawn." Spencer explained.

Rossi and Victoria exchanged a glance. "Well, you can still go to Vegas." Rossi insisted.

"It's important that I stay here and try to find something else. There's a study coming up with Paul Stanfield at the Anderson clinic in Houston…" Spencer paused when Rossi shook his head.

"Spencer. I understand you wanna help. But don't lose sight of the bigger picture."

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked.

"You have a finite amount of time left with your mother. I know it's a hard thing to say, but I speak from experience. Don't squander the time you have left by being overly focused on fixes." Rossi said.

"But I want her to get better." Spencer protested.

Then get on that phone. Buy your ticket to Las Vegas. Being with you, seeing you, hearing your voice –that's the best medicine you could give your mother." said Rossi.

Spencer could see he would not win this argument. He nodded, averting Rossi's gaze. "Okay."

"See you later, kiddo. Have fun in Vegas." said Rossi, patting Spencer's shoulder. He kissed Victoria's cheek and left the bullpen.

Victoria sank into a chair. "I think Rossi's right."

Spencer's eyes snapped to hers. Her eyes were soft and tired. Wisps of hair that escaped her ponytail framed her face. "You think I shouldn't try to help her?"

"I'm not saying that," Victoria assured him. "If I could've healed my grandmother, I would've. But you know what my biggest regret with her is?"

Spencer glanced at his hands. "No."

"That I didn't spend more time with her. You're so smart, Spencer. If anyone is gonna cure cancer or dementia, I believe it could be you. But it might not be. Maybe there isn't a cure. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to help. I'm saying that you shouldn't get wrapped up in trying to cure your mother and forget to love her, too. I know this isn't easy. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I can imagine." Victoria murmured.

Spencer's eyes burned. He looked up at her. "I can't just do nothing."

"Going to Vegas isn't nothing. Trying to help her isn't nothing." Victoria retorted.

"But if I can't…"

"If you can't, at least you'll know you tried. You don't want to regret not spending this time with her, Spencer. I'm buying our tickets." Victoria turned toward her computer to do just that.

Spencer watched her for a moment, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed, hard. Victoria turned toward him after purchasing their tickets. He looked up at her. "Thank you."

Victoria nodded. "I'll see you at the apartment?"

"Yeah." Spencer said. Victoria smiled and gathered her things. She left the bullpen. Spencer waited until the elevator doors closed behind her before picking up his phone to call the Houston clinical trial. He would get his mother in, and he would go to Vegas.

…

Victoria took care of most of the travel details. She packed Spencer's suitcase, took care of their tickets, checked them into their hotel and called a cab to take them to Diana's mental facility. They checked with the receptionist, who approved their visit. Spencer seemed too anxious to keep his head in place. Victoria did what she could to help him, but she realized early on that Spencer's mind was lightyears away, trying to solve this problem. Victoria's heart ached for him. He was so intelligent, she knew that he thought it was a waste for him not to try and cure dementia, but it would probably take someone not personally affected to cure the disease, if at all. She squirmed at the thought that she doubted Spencer's capabilities, but she would hate to see him throw away this time with his mother trying to cure a disease that was so far incurable. If she could take Spencer's pain, she would. But all she could do was sit like a stone in Spencer's pocket, which he carried around and sometimes gripped, as if to break his own hand to alleviate the agony eating at his chest.

Victoria slipped her hand into Spencer's. He responded with a squeeze of her fingers. They entered Diana's room. Diana sat in an armchair, her reading glasses perched on the end of her nose as she read a book. Victoria squinted to read the title: _To the Lighthouse_ , by Virginia Woolf. Victoria had never read it, but she had heard good things about it. Diana glanced up when Spencer and Victoria entered the room.

"Spencer," Diana beamed, marking her page and standing.

"Mom," Spencer returned, his tone ragged. Spencer released Victoria's hand to cross the room and embrace his mother.

Victoria looked away, suddenly feeling as if she should have remained behind at the hotel. Diana withdrew from Spencer's embrace. "Victoria," Diana greeted, extending her arms to Victoria, who kept their hug short. "It's good to see you both, but you really didn't have to come. I didn't want to make such a fuss."

"We wanted to see you," Spencer said.

"Have a seat," said Diana, gesturing to the chairs. Victoria and Spencer obliged. Diana clasped her hands. "Spencer, you really shouldn't have come all the way out here."

"Don't be silly," said Spencer, "I wanted to see you."

He sounded hoarse. Victoria kept her hands to herself, not wanting to alert to Diana that Spencer was upset. Diana took off her glasses. "Well, I can't say I'm disappointed that you're here. It's always a pleasure to see you."

Victoria remained quiet while the two caught up, listening to Spencer's stories about the cases and Diana's about some of her fellow patients. "So," said Diana, changing the subject, "when can I expect some grandchildren?"

Victoria flushed. "Oh, we decided to wait a little bit."

"How long?" Diana interrogated.

"A couple of years." Spencer replied.

Diana paled. "Years? Oh, no… No, no, no… I don't have that long."

Victoria glanced at Spencer, her brow furrowing. Spencer pursed his lips before turning back to his mother. "What do you mean?"

"I won't remember you in a few years. I won't remember my grandchildren." Diana said.

Victoria's breath hitched. She swallowed the lump in her throat, waiting for Spencer to save the conversation, but he seemed just as lost. "They won't forget. We won't."

Diana shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "It's not fair. None of this is fair! Why couldn't your dad have developed dementia? Why me? I… I won't have enough time with you. Your family…" Diana dissolved into tears. "Just go! Please, go!"

Victoria looked at Spencer helplessly. He knelt before his mother and gripped her hands to keep her from hitting herself. "Mom, it's okay!" Spencer cried.

"No, it's not! It's not fair!" Diana sobbed.

A nurse entered the room. "You guys should come back later," she said, giving Diana a sedative. Spencer and Victoria left. They returned to the hotel, a headache throbbing behind Victoria's eyes. Spencer sat on the edge of the bed, staring ahead blankly. Victoria placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off.

"I'm gonna take a shower. We can get dinner afterward." he muttered. He got up and went into the bathroom. He closed and locked the door behind him. Victoria stared at it for a few seconds, her heart pounding painfully against her lungs. She grabbed her room key and her phone and left the hotel room. She wandered to a coffee shop next to the hotel, where she sat down and dialed JJ's number.

She answered on the third ring. "Victoria? Everything okay?"

Victoria's eyes prickled. "Um," she muttered thickly, "I don't think so."

"What's wrong? Is Spence okay?"

"No. I mean, he's upset about his mom. JJ, I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

Victoria divulged the story to JJ quickly. "I don't know how to comfort him. He barely registers that I'm even around him. I feel so selfish for thinking like this, too. Like, I'm doing my best but it's not enough. He pushes me away when I try to help him, and I… Maybe I should've stayed in Quantico."

"Victoria, he does this when he's grieving. You know that better than anyone." JJ murmured.

Victoria pressed her face into her free hand. "I know, which is why I feel so selfish. I feel like he should open up to me. I'm his wife now…"

"Victoria, you're not selfish. Look, it's gonna take work. You guys are just married. Your problems won't be solved just because you have the same last name now."

"I know…"

"And this is a big thing the two of you are dealing with so early in your marriage. I don't think you should've stayed in Quantico. He might push you away, but he needs you there. You know he does."

"JJ, I just feel so selfish because I also feel like his mom doesn't like me."

"Has he said anything about it?"

"No."

"Well, she does have a lot on her mind…"

"I know, I feel so petty for even feeling that way. I just don't know what to do." Victoria broke into sobs that she tried to quiet since she was in public.

"Victoria, listen to me. This is a lot for anyone to deal with. For Spence, this is his mom. For Diana, she knows that she's going to lose all of her memories. That can't be easy to deal with. And you're watching it happen, thrown into the middle because you're his wife. I know he's pushing you away, but you've gotta push back. Don't walk away because he shrugs you off. Remember when Maeve died?"

"Yeah." Victoria sniffled.

"And Spencer yelled at you? And he wouldn't talk to any of us for two weeks?"

"Yeah…"

"You let him push you away."

"I wasn't exactly in a good place, either…"

"Victoria, his girlfriend had just died. And he loved you, even then. You loved him, too. Anyone who knew you both could tell. But of course the two of you couldn't. Anyway, my point is that you were hurt and angry and so you let him push you away, but he needed you there. You came around eventually. He needs you there now. The two of you need to work on it, you know? Communicate. It'll take a while before your marriage really smooths out. They don't tell you about that stuff when you first get married or start living together. It'll be okay." JJ said. Victoria's sniffles subsided. She nodded, then remembered JJ could not see her.

"Okay. Thank you."

"You good?"

"Yeah. Thank you."

"Anytime."

Victoria hung up and returned to the hotel room. She entered to find Spencer out of the shower, dressed in a pair of jeans and a flannel. He stopped, halfway through buttoning his shirt. He frowned. "You've been crying?" His voice cracked.

Victoria glanced toward the mirror. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and she resembled Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer with her nose. She wiped away the flecks of mascara that had gathered underneath her eyes. Now she just looked like KISS. "A little bit."

Spencer's shoulders slumped. "It's because of me, isn't it?"

Victoria looked at her hands. "Kind of. Mainly our situation."

"I'm sorry." Spencer's voice sounded so small.

"Spence, it was mainly because I don't know how to help you. You push me away when you're grieving, and I feel… superfluous here." Victoria said.

Spencer lowered his gaze. He resumed buttoning his shirt. "You're not superfluous. I… I do need you here."

Victoria stepped toward him. "I know."

"I don't mean to push you away."

Victoria placed a hand on his cheek. "I know. And I'm bad about running away when you do push. We both need to work on that."

Spencer nodded. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but… I think we should stay in tonight." Victoria said. Spencer nodded, looking relieved. They ordered room service pizza and found a movie on TV that neither of them heeded much attention. Victoria showered and brushed her teeth. She braided her damp hair and dressed into pajamas. She exited the bathroom to find Spencer with his head between his knees, crying quietly. Victoria immediately sat beside him and wrapped her arms around him. Spencer turned toward her, burying his face in her chest as he sobbed. Victoria stroked his hair and trailed her fingers down his back.

"It's not fair," he cried. "It's not fair. She already has schizophrenia, now this… It's not fair. I don't want to lose her."

"Shh," Victoria soothed. "You won't lose her, Spence. Because you love each other, and love transcends…" She trailed off, not sure of what she wanted to say. "Love is bigger than this, Spencer. And you'll never forget, even if she does. But I don't think she'll forget the love. I don't think you can forget love."

Spencer's cries quieted. He sniffed. "She told me something like that once," he murmured. "When she was having one of her episodes when I was a kid. She told me that love was bigger than a disease of the brain."

Victoria smiled softly. "See? Even she knows that. You should, too."

Spencer squeezed her. He let go, and Victoria's back felt much lighter. She hadn't realized how tightly Spencer had been holding onto her, his fingers like talons. He withdrew to look into her eyes. "Thank you. For coming. For everything. I know you don't really know what do, but having you here helps. I couldn't do this alone."

Victoria leaned forward and kissed his lips gently. "I don't want you to do this alone. I love you, Spence."

Spencer pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you too."

They crawled beneath the covers, wrapped in each other's arms. Spencer's head rested near Victoria's breasts. She stroked his hair until he fell asleep. Eventually, her stroking slowed until she fell asleep, too.

 **…**

 **You guys, I am so sorry for this late update. These research papers… Lol I have 2 done, but one is due in like five days and I have 2 paragraphs for it… And finals is next week, too. But then I'm done with school and have time to write more! I will definitely be able to write more by next Wednesday. This semester has just… Wow. It's been tough. Note to self, don't take 4 English classes in one semester… Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this sad little chapter. Please review!**


	55. Chapter 55

**_Elliot's Pond_**

Victoria grinned as she listened to Luke finish his story. She stepped off the elevator with Luke, JJ, Tara and Spencer. They headed for the bullpen while JJ protested the likelihood of Luke's story.

"The probability of that happening to you more than once is astounding." Spencer admitted.

"Yeah, I know, but I was there, okay?" Luke grinned smugly at them. "And I'm telling you, it was crazy."

Victoria's smile faltered when she spotted Penelope's face, pale and searching. "Thank God you guys are here," Penelope breathed, closing the gap between her and the group. "What do you know?"

Victoria exchanged a glance with Spencer and JJ. "Nothing." said JJ.

"Okay. Rossi got here crazy early and then right when Prentiss came in, he pulled her in there." Penelope gestured toward Rossi's office with an incline of her head.

Before Victoria could input her opinion or ask a question, Rossi opened his office door and stepped out with Prentiss. He pressed his lips together grimly. "We need to talk."

Victoria frowned but followed the rest of the team into the conference room. Penelope seemed to be trying not to hyperventilate. "Okay, okay. What's going on?"

"It's Hotch." Rossi admitted.

"Oh my God, is he okay?" Penelope breathed. Victoria slipped her hand into her friend's.

"He's okay," Rossi assured them. "But he hasn't been away on assignment. That's something we had to say as a cover for the investigation."

"What investigation?" Penelope demanded.

"Hotch saw Peter Lewis watching one of Jack's soccer games." Rossi admitted. Victoria's heart plummeted.

"By the time Hotch reacted, Lewis had taken off. The Bureau searched the area but he disappeared." Emily added.

"When was this?" JJ croaked.

"Days after Scratch resurfaced in Arizona." Rossi answered.

"One of the victims was chanting his name when we found her. She had 'Hotch' carved into his forehead." Tara reminded the team.

"It really got to him." Victoria whispered. Spencer looked at her, his brow furrowed.

"Why didn't he tell us? We could have focused on finding Mr. Scratch." he said. His lips were parted and his brow stayed knitted. His eyes were soft with concern.

"He knows we can't drop everything. Also, he didn't want to worry everyone." Rossi replied.

"Now what? They have round-the-clock surveillance?" Luke said.

"Initially, yes. Agents were assigned to watch Jack 24/7. But when we were all in LA on the John David Bates case, Scratch surfaced again, this time at Jack's school." Rossi said.

"Going after Jack takes this to a whole new level." JJ muttered darkly.

"Peter Lewis is not gonna stop. Which is why Hotch and Jack have now entered the program." Rossi said.

Victoria frowned. Program? Her breath escaped her lungs when she realized that Rossi meant Witness Protection. "What?" she breathed.

"Witness Protection?" Tara slid a glance toward Victoria in concern before looking back at Rossi. "Uh, okay. Wow."

"But now that this has happened, we can drop everything and focus on catching Scratch, and then Hotch can come back, right?" Penelope said.

"That's what we should've done." Victoria muttered.

Rossi glanced at her, his eyes glimmering with pity. "He went away believing that could happen. But things have changed. He's now decided that he can't put himself and Jack in that kind of danger again. He just sent in his resignation." Victoria gasped and looked at the rest of the team. She immediately looked toward Spencer, whose mouth hung agape. "I know this is a lot to process." Rossi added.

"I mean, yeah, he's a great dad, and this is an impossible job, and we know how much tragedy he's had. He's had enough tragedy. But… Does this mean we're never gonna be able to speak to him again?" Penelope sounded on the verge of tears.

Victoria looked at Rossi, pleading. He met her gaze with his usual grim thinning of his lips. "We don't have a choice. It's not ideal, but as his friends, we have to support his decision."

Victoria's first instinct said fuck that. She wanted to march up to Hotch's door and drag his ass to the bullpen. But she knew that was impossible.

"The only way for Hotch to guarantee Jack's safety is if they both stay off the grid." Emily said.

"And one more thing. Hotch spoke to the director as to who should replace him. Don't worry. It won't be me. You all know that I'm allergic to paperwork," Rossi smiled. A few chuckles met his words. Victoria sensed what Rossi was going to say before he said it. It would explain why Emily was pulled into his office… "But Hotch's final request was that Emily Prentiss becomes the BAU's new bureau chief."

"Thank the universe for silver linings." Penelope breathed.

"Okay, I just heard about all of this myself a few minutes ago." said Emily.

"Congratulations, Emily." Luke grinned.

"This'll be good, right?" Spencer sounded hopeful in trying to mask his excitement.

"You kidding me? This'll be great." JJ replied.

"I'm really happy for you." Tara beamed.

"Me too." Victoria said, though her tone held a tinge of sadness. She was happy for Emily, but she would miss Hotch. She did.

"Thank you guys, but I haven't exactly signed on yet." Emily replied.

"Everyone knows you have a lot to consider, but the BRASS needs an answer by tomorrow." said Rossi.

"Understood."

"I hate to interrupt the bad news/good news with bad news/bad news, but we've got three missing kids in Delaware." Penelope said, looking at her phone. Victoria pushed aside her mixed feelings and took a seat to prepare for the case.

…...

On the jet, Spencer moved to the front to get a cup of coffee. JJ already stood at the counter, stirring creamer and sugar into hers. She poured Spencer a cup.

"There's a lot to process before my first cup." she muttered, pouring a packet of sugar into Spencer's cup. She stirred it and then handed it to him.

"Thank you."

"I can't believe he's been dealing with this for weeks and we never knew." JJ said, cradling her cup. Spencer added a few more packets to his coffee.

"That part actually doesn't surprise me. He's always kept things to himself. I guess it was just his way of protecting us." Spencer said.

"If anyone targeted my boys, I'd do anything to keep them safe." JJ said, moving past Spencer.

"I know." Spencer murmured.

JJ paused. "How's Victoria? She and Hotch were close."

Spencer's chest tightened. His gaze immediately flickered to the back of the jet, where Victoria sat. "I… I haven't actually gotten a chance to talk to her about it yet." he admitted.

"You should." JJ said.

Spencer smiled slightly. "I know." He fixed Victoria a cup of coffee, adding the amount of creamer and sugar that she liked. In her words, she liked her coffee so light it was hardly coffee anymore. Spencer carried her cup to her and handed it to her. She smiled softly at him. It didn't quite reach her eyes. Spencer sat beside her. He squeezed her knee. He remembered when Gideon left, how hard he had taken it. But that had been Gideon's choice. Had Scratch not come into the picture, Hotch would probably still be with them. At least Spencer had received Gideon's letter. Hotch hadn't even said goodbye to Victoria. There was no closure.

Emily led the discussion about the case. The missing children were three boys who liked to watch or make movies. Their phones had been left behind for their latest adventure. Spencer inputted a little history on the town. An insane asylum had burned down years ago, leading to the escape of some of the inmates, who most likely lived in abandoned houses around the area. Rossi suggested that Garcia should look those addresses up, which she promised to do.

Once the plane landed, the team jumped to work. Spencer, Victoria and Emily headed with Coop, the leading officer, to the last known whereabouts of the boys. Coop explained about the unsolved case of the Henson twins' disappearance thirty-three years ago. While Coop talked, a ragged-looking man rode up on his bike.

"What's going on here?" demanded the stranger.

"There are three missing kids." said Emily.

The stranger seemed taken aback, almost personally offended, by the news. Coop cleared his throat. "We don't want any trouble."

"Looks like you got it, anyhow." said the stranger, gesturing to Emily, Spencer and Victoria.

"You need a ride home?" Coop asked.

The stranger smirked bitterly and looked at the handlebars. "No sir, I do not need a ride home. I've been getting plenty of exercise since you took away my license. What are you guys, FBI or something?"

"Yeah." Emily replied coolly.

The man looked at Coop, his eyes watery. "Coop, why didn't you bring them in before? Oh, that's right, because you were too cocky back then. Now you're just lazy."

The amount of venom in the man's tone raised the hairs on the back of Spencer's neck. Coop straightened. "Go home, Deeley." he snapped.

Spencer's interest piqued. "Deeley Henson?"

Deeley poked his cheek with his tongue. "Yes."

"You were with your siblings that night." Spencer said.

Deeley looked toward the sky. Spencer's stomach squirmed. He knew this was a difficult topic for the man. "Sure was."

"Could we possibly ask you a few questions?" Spencer prodded.

"Nope. I'm done talking. Johnny and Allie are gone. Nothing's gonna change that." Deeley sounded defeated as he turned his bike around.

"If this case has anything to do with your brother and sister, you could really help us." Spencer added.

"Sorry, I just got nothin' left." Deeley replied. He pedaled off.

"That's the downside of living in a small town. You know rumors flew, people accused Deeley of killing them. He became an outcast, dropped out of school, started drinking to cover up the guilt. Surprised he's still standing." said Coop, watching Deeley's retreating back.

…

Victoria rubbed her face with her hands. The case of the missing boys, who were now safe at home, had taken a lot out of her. The boys reminded her too much of Jason and Seth. Her heart twanged with homesickness. She missed those weirdos. She heard talking and peeked into the aisle of the jet. Spencer crouched beside Emily's seat. JJ sat across from Emily. To avoid listening into their conversation, Victoria put on headphones. As soon as the sun rose, Victoria would call Jason and Seth. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

 _"_ _You look absolutely beautiful."_

 _Victoria smiled. "Thank you, Hotch."_

 _"_ _You can call me Aaron today."_

 _Victoria laughed. Her humor faded. "Is it weird that I'm kind of scared?"_

 _"_ _I think that's normal."_

 _"_ _I'm also really calm."_

 _"_ _Mixed feelings are natural. You're about to take a big step in your life. It won't be just your life anymore. It'll be yours and Spencer's." Hotch said, smiling softly._

 _Victoria wrung her hands. "Should it be taking this long?"_

 _"_ _We're on time, sweetheart," Hotch assured her. One of the ushers knocked on the door. Hotch held out his arm to Victoria. "Ready?"_

 _Victoria took a deep breath and looped her arm through Aaron's. "Yeah."_

 _The doors opened and they walked down the aisle. Victoria's eyes were on Spencer, who glowed in the warm light of the building. A bright smile stretched his lips and popped his cheeks. His eyes shined. Victoria's nerves vanished as she approached the pulpit, ready to be the wife of Dr. Spencer Reid._

Someone touched Victoria's knee. She jumped slightly and opened her eyes. Spencer sat across from her, his eyebrows knitted in askance. Victoria took off her headphones. "Hey."

Spencer's lips twitched. "Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah."

Spencer seemed doubtful. "You look like you're about to cry."

Victoria dragged her teeth against her lip. "I… I didn't get to say goodbye to Hotch."

Spencer's lips pressed together. "No one did."

"I know… I just… I'll really miss him. And I tried not to overhear the conversation, but I caught a lot of it. I'm happy Emily's staying. It'll make things easier on us. But… to never see him again? He was like a father to me." Victoria blinked, hard.

Spencer gazed at her for a long moment. "I know, baby. But this whole thing won't last forever. We'll catch Scratch, and then Hotch can come out of the program. He may not be the unit chief, but you'll see him again."

Victoria smiled softly. "Thank you."

Spencer reached across the table and took her hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Hey," barked Emily from her seat. Victoria looked over Spencer's shoulder and Spencer turned. "You guys need to calm down with that PDA over there. No joining the Mile High Club."

Victoria laughed. Spencer faced her, his brow furrowed. "The what?"

Victoria's humor faded. "The Mile High Club," Victoria said. Spencer still looked confused. She giggled. "It's for people who've had sex on airplanes."

Spencer raised a brow. "There's a club for that?"

"Well, not really, I don't know, I wouldn't doubt if someone actually made one, but it just means you've had sex on an airplane. Like, once you do it, you can say that you've joined the club." Victoria explained.

Spencer nodded. "Oh. That's… weird."

Victoria smiled and shook her head. The jet landed soon after, and the team grabbed their bags and headed into the bullpen. They chatted about their plans for the weekend. Victoria noticed Penelope march into the room. She seemed like she had urgent news, but a happy glow hid underneath her cheeks. "We need to talk." Penelope announced.

Victoria raised a brow and looked at the others. They ventured into the conference room, where Penelope had disappeared. "Oh ho! News travels fast!" Emily exclaimed, entering the room first. When Victoria entered, a smile broke out over her face.

Penelope had poured glasses of champagne. Penelope stood by her arrangement proudly. "Good news does. I'm so happy you're here. We all are."

"I've got some big shoes to fill." Emily said.

"Well, I'm not worried. Besides, you'd never let us all down." David said.

Emily laughed. "No pressure."

Victoria patted Emily's back. "You've got this."

Spencer handed Victoria a glass of champagne. She stood beside him. He rested his hand on the small of her back. Rossi cleared his throat. "Well, let me just say something to everyone," he announced. The chatter died and everyone turned their attention to him. "I, um… I've been in and out of here since 1978, but I know this is where I belong. I've seen a lot of great agents pass through those doors, and a lot of them have moved on. Now most of this team has been together for over a decade. But I promise you, that doesn't happen often. I've heard rumblings about how lucky we are and it's true, but the truth is it's what happens when we're not on a case that has defined who we are. We stand beside each other through good, through bad because we're family. So, to Aaron and Jack: I don't know who's luckier, but it warms my heart to know that they'll be together every day and safe."

"Hear, hear." JJ muttered.

"And to Emily, our friend and new unit chief. Welcome home." David held up his glass. The team cheered and clinked their glasses together and drank to Rossi's toast.

…

Victoria waited for Jason to pick up her FaceTime call. On the fourth ring, he answered. Victoria widened her eyes. "You have a goatee!"

"Hello to you, too," said Jason, though he scratched his now hairy chin with a smug smile.

"How's college?" Victoria asked.

"It's good," said Jason. "How are your cases going?"

"They're all right. I just had one with a bunch of boys who went missing. They made movies for fun. Reminded me of you and Seth."

Jason smiled and shook his head. "We don't talk about those stupid movies we used to make."

"They were cute!"

"They were dumb."

"I liked them."

"Yeah, because you weren't in them."

"I was in a few."

"They were still our idea."

Victoria grinned. "Have you seen Alice's baby recently?"

"Yeah, she brought him to my send-off dinner. Which you weren't at, by the way." Jason pouted.

Victoria cringed. "I know, I'm sorry. It's hard for me to get from Virginia to Louisiana on such short notice."

"I know. I don't really blame you." Jason said, though Victoria saw the downturn of his brow.

"I will definitely see you for your birthday in a few weeks." Victoria promised.

Jason's eyes lit up. "Will Spencer be there?"

"Of course I will," said Spencer as he entered the living room. He'd been in the shower while Victoria sat on the couch. Spencer lowered himself into view of the camera, though he still stood behind the couch. "I haven't' seen any of you in a long time. Will Seth be there?"

"Yeah. He's a little pothead now that he lives in Portland, though." said Jason.

Victoria laughed. "I'm not surprised. His brother runs a dispensary."

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "I don't get the appeal, but whatever."

"Have you made any friends at school?" Victoria asked. Spencer kissed her cheek and disappeared in the kitchen.

"Yes, Mom," Jason rolled his eyes. "I did what you suggested and joined a video game club. I met a girl."

"Ooh, do tell," Victoria said. She grinned as she listened to Jason talk about this girl, Zoey. After a while, Jason said he needed to work on homework. They ended the FaceTime call. Victoria entered the kitchen. Spencer stood at the counter, steeping some tea.

"Jason's got a girlfriend?" Spencer asked, looking up as Victoria entered. She sat at one of the stools by the counter.

"Maybe," said Victoria.

"Do you want a cup?" Spencer asked, gesturing to the tea.

"What kind is it?"

"Green."

"Do we have honey?"

"Yeah." Spencer fetched the bottle of honey. He poured tea into a mug for Victoria and handed it to her. She opened the bottle of honey and began pouring it into the mug. She counted to forty in her head before she stopped pouring. She closed the cap.

"May I have a spoon?" she asked, looking up. Spencer had frozen, his mug hovering by his lips. His eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline.

"Do you want some tea with your honey?" he teased.

"Says the guy who pours his bodyweight of sugar into his coffee." Victoria retorted.

Spencer smirked and set down his mug. He retrieved a spoon and handed it to Victoria, who stirred the honey into her tea. Spencer picked up the honey bottle to store it. He laughed. "You used an eighth of the bottle!"

"You're exaggerating."

"You're ridiculous." Spencer replied, shaking his head.

"You love me for it." Victoria challenged.

Spencer leaned across the counter and kissed her forehead. "I do."

They spent the morning and afternoon watching movies, reading and painting. Victoria liked when Spencer read with her curled against his chest. Sometimes he read aloud, even though Victoria didn't know anything about what the hell he was reading about (something about quantum physics), and dozed to the feel of his voice through his chest.

She felt something vibrate in her back pocket and jerked awake. She sat up, feeling around for her phone. Spencer stretched his pajama-clad legs across her lap. Victoria answered the phone. "Hello?"

"V! What're you up to tonight?" Penelope sang.

"Umm…" Victoria looked at Spencer. He peered over the top of his book briefly before looking back at its pages. "Nothing. Why?"

"We're going out. You, me, Jayge, Em, Tara… It's non-negotiable. Get ready. We're picking you up at eight." Penelope replied.

Victoria grinned. "Okay, I'll see you then."

She hung up and moved Spencer's legs from her lap. "Was that Penelope?"

Victoria looked at him. "Yeah. We're going out. Is that okay?"

"Of course," said Spencer. He smiled softly at her. Victoria bent down to peck his lips and then ventured to the bathroom. She jumped into the shower. She shaved and washed her hair. She exfoliated her face and then hopped out of the shower. She put on a bathrobe and tied her hair up into a towel. She worked on her eye makeup first, smoking it out with brown, matte shades. She applied some eyeliner and mascara and then took her hair out of the towel. She squirted root pump into her hair for volume and some Moroccan oil on the ends to soften it. She blew it dry and pinned it back to work on her foundation. She kept the contouring and highlight light, but she applied a dark red lipstick. She kept her hair down, but brushed out the ends. Satisfied, she exited the bathroom and sifted through the closet and picked out a dark pair of jeggings and a loose and low-cut beige sweater. She put it on but cringed at how low the cut was. It draped past her breasts, so she put on a white, lacy bralette. Then, she put on some delicate gold necklaces and a pair of strappy heels.

By the time she was ready, it was nearly eight o'clock. She clacked into the living room, putting on a pair of earrings. "How do I look?" Victoria asked, stepping into Spencer's view.

He looked up from his book and lifted his eyebrows. "Uh…"

Victoria looked down at herself. "What's wrong?"

"You look, uh, sexy." Spencer said, eyeing her up and down.

Victoria smiled. "Really? How sexy?" She straddled him. He swallowed.

"I may not let you go out…" Spencer smirked and kissed her lightly.

"Bitch, don't mess with my makeup," Victoria scolded, but she smiled. Spencer chuckled. "Oh, shit. I forgot perfume. And deodorant." She jumped off Spencer and hurried to the bathroom. She rubbed on deodorant strategically to avoid white stains. Then, she frowned as she tried to pick out which perfume to wear.

"Yellow Diamonds," Spencer said from the doorway, pointing to the glass Versace bottle. "It's my favorite."

Victoria winked and spritzed some of the perfume on her skin. "All right. I'll let you know if I need a ride home, or if we decide to stay at Penelope's… I don't know what'll happen." She kissed Spencer's cheek, leaving a red lipstick stain. She heard a knock on the door. "That's probably Pen, will you get it? I'm switching purses."

Spencer waltzed out to answer the door while Victoria grabbed the essentials from her main purse and switched it to a smaller one. Victoria rejoined him in the living room while Penelope entered. Penelope laughed at Spencer's face. "Gettin' some action before we take her, I see."

Spencer frowned, his brow furrowed in befuddlement. He looked at Victoria. She giggled. "I left a lipstick mark on your cheek."

Spencer looked in a mirror and scowled, wiping at the mark obsessively. "Eat before you drink, please. And drink your liquor before your beer, that way you're less likely to get sick."

"Okay, honey." Victoria promised. She kissed Spencer's cheek, leaving another mark.

Spencer kissed her cheek. "I love you. Have fun."

"I love you, too." Victoria grinned.

"Ugh, you two are making me sick with the feels. Let's go!" Penelope said. Victoria laughed and followed Penelope out, leaving Spencer in his pajamas and lipstick on his face.

…

Victoria gagged down another Jell-O shot. She shuddered, but the heavy feeling of alcohol seemed to lift her brain and gave her the energy to dance with the girls. She jumped onto the floor with them, swaying her hips and bouncing around, not really caring about the rhythm. But the crowd in the club separated Victoria from the others after a few songs, though Emily managed to stay near Victoria.

"Hey, baby!" yelled a man. He squeezed Victoria's rear. She jumped back and wheeled to face him.

"Excuse you!" she snarled.

"Aw, I'm sorry sweetheart, you're just so cute." said the man.

"Cute? She's a fucking goddess, you jackass!" Emily snapped.

"A married goddess!" Victoria added. She and Victoria marched off the dance floor, arm in arm.

"The nerve of that guy! He's grabbed JJ and me, too." Emily said.

"Yeah, Pen said that one of his friends tried to move on her earlier." Victoria rolled her eyes in disgust.

"This place is too crowded. Let's see if the others wanna leave." Emily said. Victoria nodded. They found the girls sitting at their table. "Creepy McGropey just grabbed Victoria's ass."

Tara wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, what an asshole."

"Yeah, he grabbed me, too!" Penelope pouted.

"He's watching us," JJ warned, peering across the club. "Let's go. He's freaking me out."

"Yeah, and we've worked enough cases to know when to listen to our instincts." Emily muttered.

Victoria grabbed her purse and followed the others out of the club. "Who's up for a good old fashioned sleepover with pizza and wine?" asked Penelope.

"I'm up for that," Victoria said. The others nodded in agreement. "I have no clothes to sleep in, though."

"Fuck, me either," Emily groaned.

"None of us do." JJ said.

"Let's go to Walmart!" Emily sang.

"I'm good to drive. Gimme the keys." Tara said, holding her hand out to JJ, who handed the keys over. They all climbed into JJ's SUV. Victoria shot Spencer a text to let him know that she'd be staying with Penelope for the night. The girls giggled as they clambered out of the SUV, a little drunk and excited to continue their girls' night. They entered the grocery store and grabbed a cart. Victoria pushed it, jumping onto the back bar every so often to ride the momentum of the cart. They stopped in the clothing section to pick out pajamas.

"Hey, these are sexy," said Emily, picking up the ugliest nightgown Victoria had ever seen.

"Do you think Spencer would be turned on if I showed up in this?" Victoria said, holding the orange gown up to her body. She sashayed with it while JJ snorted.

"Especially if you dance like that." she said, watching Victoria run in place.

Tara and Emily snickered, leaning on each other for support. They picked out some regular T-shirts and shorts for their pajamas.

"Let's get some wine for the house," said Penelope.

"Oh, wait," said JJ, "I have to get underwear. I have this thing where I don't wear the same underwear two days in a row."

"Even in the morning?" Penelope asked.

"Yes." said JJ, already making her way to the underwear aisle. She grabbed a package of Hanes.

Victoria sniggered as she lifted the package while they headed toward the alcohol aisle. "Now _these_ will get Will's blood pumping."

JJ snatched them away, grinning. "Any man would think these are sexy." she said.

"Prove it." Victoria challenged.

JJ looked around. She spotted a fairly attractive man with a case of Coors Light and held up the package of Hanes underwear. "Excuse me, but do you think these are sexy?"

The man's ear pinked and he stuttered for a moment, eyeing JJ and then JJ's friends. He braved a smile. "Hell yeah," he agreed.

"Thank you!" JJ chirped. She tossed the panties back into the cart while the man walked away, casting a bewildered look at Victoria and the others. Victoria wiped tears from her eyes.

"D-did you see the look on his face?" Penelope wheezed.

"Yeah," laughed Tara, "he had no idea what to do!"

"He handled it well, though." Emily sighed.

JJ looked at Victoria. "Told you."

Victoria grinned. "You got me."

They grabbed a few bottles of wine and headed for the checkout lane. Then, they rushed to the car. Penelope ordered the pizza while Tara drove to the apartment. They carried their new pajamas and wine up to Penelope's apartment. Penelope rented _How to be Single_ off of Amazon. When the pizza arrived, they started the movie and gathered around with glasses of wine and plates full of pizza.

…

Spencer heard the front door open from his stance in the kitchen. He checked the clock. Noon. He smirked and shook his head. He entered the living room to find Victoria, wearing a plain T-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts, collapsed on the couch. A plastic Walmart bag hung from her fingertips, which draped over the couch. Her heels lay by the front door. Spencer stooped to pick them up.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

Victoria pressed her palm to her forehead. "Yeah."

Spencer bent to kiss her forehead. "Are you hungover?" he called as he disappeared in the bedroom to drop her heels in the closet.

"Little bit," said Victoria. Spencer reentered the living room and sat on the armrest of the couch, peering down at her with a soft smile.

"You guys just went drinking?" he prompted.

"Well, first we went to the club. We had a few shots, but we weren't drunk. We were just dancing. But there was this really creepy group of guys there who kept groping us and shit so we left to go to Walmart to get pj's and wine, and then we ordered pizza and watched a movie." Victoria said.

Spencer frowned. "Some guys groped you?"

"Well, this guy and a few of his buddies kept trying to dance on us all night, but we kept moving to different spots in the club. I didn't see Penelope, Emily, JJ or Tara get groped, but they all said they were. I definitely was. He grabbed my ass." Victoria had her eyes closed and her head leaned back, so she could not see the scowl writ on Spencer's face.

"I don't like that." he muttered.

Victoria opened her eyes. "He called me cute! Like, I'm sorry, but I looked good last night. I was not cute."

Spencer chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't have said cute."

"Yeah, Emily basically told him to fuck off. No, wait… Her exact words were that I was a fucking goddess, and then I flashed my ring at him and told him I was a _married_ goddess. Then we left." Victoria closed her eyes again.

"Are you hungry?" Spencer asked.

Victoria peered at him through her fingers, which covered her eyes. "Maybe…"

"You need to eat to help kick your hangover." Spencer said, standing. He helped Victoria to her feet. "Go change and we'll get lunch."

"Okay." Victoria buried her head underneath Spencer's chin.

He stroked her hair for a few moments. "I missed you last night."

"I missed you, too."

"I sleep better when you're here." Spencer kissed her hairline.

Victoria wrinkled her nose. "You probably still slept better than I did. I slept on the floor. No sleeping bag."

Spencer chuckled. "Well, you get to sleep with me tonight." He kissed her again. She grinned up at him and disappeared in the bedroom. Spencer watched her go, a smile still popping his cheeks.

 **…**

 **Yay! I made A's on all of my research papers, and now I officially have one year left of college! I'm being kind of lazy with the cases, but I like focusing on the team's interactions better. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. Please review!**


	56. Chapter 56

**_Scarecrow_**

Victoria glanced over at Tara. She worried for her friend. Tara had jumped back into work only after taking two days off after Scratch's attack on her family. Victoria shifted, her brow furrowing and the corners of her mouth drawing.

Tara's lips twitched. "I can practically feel your concern, V."

Victoria smiled softly. "Sorry. I thought I was being discreet."

"You weren't." Tara beamed.

"Are you sure you took enough time off? How are you and Gabriel?"

"I'm fine, V. Well, I've been having a few nightmares, but nothing unmanageable. Gabriel and I are taking baby steps. But we're good." Tara explained.

Victoria nodded. "Good. Look, I know that nightmares can make life unbearable. If they get too bad, come talk to me."

Tara pursed her lips. "I will," she promised. "Mostly I just want to catch him."

"You and me both. He could attack anyone on the team." Victoria's gaze slid toward Spencer, who looked over a case file. Some of his hair hung in face. He looked so handsome in his jacket and button-down shirt. Good grief, she loved that man. If Scratch laid a finger on Spencer (or anyone she cared about), she would lose her mind.

Spencer glanced up and caught Victoria's stare. His brow twitched, noting her concern. _Are you okay?_ he mouthed. Victoria nodded, but Spencer's lips curved downward. He stood and joined Victoria and Tara. "We should deliver the profile soon." he said.

Tara got the hint. "I'll gather up the officers." She left Spencer and Victoria alone.

"You okay?" Spencer asked, peering at her.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Spencer, you worry too much. I'm fine."

"I worry too much?" Spencer countered. "I could practically _feel_ you worrying over there."

"I just want to catch Scratch." Victoria huffed.

Spencer nodded. "We all do."

Victoria frowned, catching the ghost of an edge to his voice. "Are _you_ okay?"

Spencer looked at her. He seemed to crack slightly. His tongue poked out between his lips and his shoulders raised with the intake of a deep breath. "I'll tell you later."

Victoria's frown deepened. Her attention met Tara's, who had returned. "Ready?"

Tara nodded. "Let's go."

They lined up in front of the officers, some of whom held notepads. "We are looking for a white male, thirty to forty years old, who's been targeting female sex workers." Spencer began.

"He appears to be a mission-oriented moral enforcer who may be forcing his victims to wear a cilice made of burlap and fastened with barbed wire." Tara added.

"What's a cilice?" asked one of the officers.

Victoria glanced at her husband, confident he knew best how to explain what a cilice was. She was right. Spencer stepped forward. "Originally it was a garment made of coarse cloth or annual hair, used in some religious traditions to induce pain or discomfort as a sign of repentance and atonement."

"He may be projecting his own sexual desires onto his victims. He's punishing them because he wants to have sex with them, but because of his upbringing, he can't or won't." Victoria added, the familiar heat creeping up her neck when the officers turned their attention to her.

"His use of barbed wire could be a way of inflicting more punishment on his victims before killing them." Tara said.

Victoria swallowed before adding, "His guilt-ridden love map was likely formed during his childhood and adolescence."

"He might've grown up in a conservative household and had a parent or teacher that was strict and overbearing." Spencer said.

"He's driving a dark-colored car and cruising the streets for his victims." said Tara.

Spencer cut in, "But because he has been able to dispose of his victims undetected for years, he's comfortable here. He most likely lives or works in the area."

"Sex workers should be warned and advised to use caution. And until we find Cherry Rollins, we will be maintaining round-the-clock police presence at the creek where the bodies were found. Thank you." Victoria concluded. The officers dispersed, leaving Victoria alone with Tara and Spencer.

Tara crossed her arms. "We've got to narrow this down somehow."

"Yeah," Victoria agreed. Tara's phone beeped. She checked as Victoria continued, "I'm afraid that Cherry Rollins is running out of time."

"Emily and the others are on their way back. They're picking up takeout and then we're getting on a conference call with Garcia." Tara relayed the text to Victoria and Spencer, who nodded.

Victoria cast him a sidelong glance. The corners of his mouth twitched. He seemed rather pale and Victoria saw him wring his hands at his sides twice. She set her jaw for a moment. Something was definitely bothering him. "Great. I'm gonna get some air." She looked at Spencer pointedly, praying he understood. Victoria stepped outside the police station and waited.

Spencer met her outside after only a few seconds. "You could ask to talk to me. Tara knows we're married."

"I know you don't like the team to worry about you. I was protecting your privacy." Victoria replied, facing him with her arms crossed.

Spencer put his hands into his pockets. "You're part of the team, too."

"Yeah?" Victoria scowled, unsure of what Spencer meant.

"Which means I don't want you to worry, either." Spencer met her gaze.

"I'm your wife," Victoria argued, "I'm supposed to worry about you."

Spencer rolled his eyes, but Victoria caught the ghost of a smile on his features. She waited for him to speak. He looked anywhere but at her face. He stared at the ground. Victoria was short enough to see tears glimmering in his eyes. "It's my mom."

Victoria's heart sank. She stepped toward him. "Spencer… What's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't think the clinical trial is working." Spencer's voice trembled.

Victoria parted her lips but found she had no response. What could she say to ease his pain? "Success won't happen overnight, honey."

"She's been there a few weeks." Spencer protested. He looked up and ran his hands through his hair.

"Still," Victoria insisted, "this isn't something that has a real cure yet. It is a clinical _trial_."

"I had a headache today, too." Spencer admitted.

Victoria's heart stuttered in her chest. She pursed her lips as Spencer met her gaze apprehensively. She exhaled. "Spencer, I know you're scared. But you're worrying too much. Whenever you start worrying or thinking too much, you get the headaches. They're caused by stress and lack of sleep. That's what Maeve said, isn't it?"

"Yes," Spencer mumbled, lowering his gaze. He seemed ashamed. Victoria's heart tightened. She stepped toward him and cupped his cheek. His face contorted. "I feel like I'm drowning." He broke into sobs, falling onto Victoria's shoulder.

Victoria wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair. "You're not doing this alone," she assured him. She felt him shaking in her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart twisting sharply. "I'm not going to let you drown. Okay? I'll be your boat or I'll jump in after you. But you're not in this alone. I've got you."

Spencer shuddered in her embrace. Victoria held him tighter, waiting for his sobs to subside. He calmed a bit and withdrew. He rubbed his face. "I'm sorry. I feel like you've seen me cry way more than you should have."

Victoria scowled. "Don't apologize. It doesn't bother me. Well, it does, but not in the way you think."

Spencer gazed at her, his eyes red. "I don't like when you cry, either."

Victoria nudged him. "I know. I'm serious, though. Don't think that you're alone in this. Promise me that you will tell me everything. I don't care if you think it's weak for you to cry or whatever. You tell me. I can't help you if you don't tell me. You shouldn't carry this burden on your own."

Spencer nodded. "I know."

"Promise me, Spencer." Victoria persisted.

Spencer lowered his gaze. "I promise."

…

Spencer waited for the others to return from the unsub Kevin Decker's house. He always worried for his team. Though now that he had married one of the members of said team, his worry increased significantly. He twisted his wedding ring around his finger until the skin felt chafed by the friction. No marks were left behind, but the skin was agitated. He bounced his knees and paced, waiting for the team to return. He had not tagged along with them, as he did not feel emotionally prepared to confront an unsub. Thoughts of his mother sent heat rippling down his back, spreading down his arms and to his fingertips.

At last, the team returned. Emily, Luke and Victoria looked shaken. Their clothes were covered in powdery film and dust. Chunks of hair cascaded free from Victoria's ponytail. Spencer frowned and met the team. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Unsub dropped corn feed on us in a silo." Luke muttered shortly.

Spencer raised his eyebrows and looked at Victoria. He placed his hands on her arms. "You're okay?"

"I'm fine." Victoria confirmed. Spencer relaxed.

"Let's clean up here and go back to the hotel." said Emily. "We can relax for a bit, get dinner and then we'll head back to Quantico."

Spencer and the rest of the team nodded in agreement. He gripped Victoria's hand in his the whole ride back to the hotel. His stomach contorted and roiled until his heart fluttered like a bird in a cage. The team split off for their rooms. Spencer and Victoria entered their hotel room. Spencer turned to Victoria, shaking slightly. "I'm going to ask Emily for some time off."

Victoria blinked. "Oh. Okay. Why?"

Spencer looked at their hands, still clasped together. "I need to check on my mom."

Victoria was quiet for a long time. Spencer looked up to meet her gaze. She avoided his, staring ahead, a teary, faraway look in her eyes. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Spencer swallowed. "Of course I want you with me. But you should stay here. You've already taken off too much time on behalf of my mother. What if something comes up in your family? What about Jason's birthday party?"

"Which you will miss," Victoria huffed. Spencer's throat tightened. She sounded irritated.

"I'm sorry." he breathed.

Victoria shrugged. She let go of his hand, which dropped by his side, suddenly clammy in her absence. Victoria rubbed her face. "It's not your fault."

"You don't want me to go."

Victoria scowled at him. "Don't say it like that," she said, her tone sharper than usual. "I told you that you're not doing this alone."

"I promised I'd tell you about things. I'm keeping that promise." Spencer insisted.

"I know," Victoria sighed, "you just sounded mad that I'm disappointed."

Spencer inhaled sharply. "You're disappointed? Why?"

"Well, obviously I'd rather have my husband with me. You're going away and you don't know how long you'll be gone. I'm frustrated because I want you around. I'm frustrated because I want to help you, but I don't know how. I'm going to miss you, idiot." Victoria sighed.

Spencer softened. He inched closer to her. He cupped her neck and gazed into her eyes. "I'm going to miss you, too," he assured her. "And you are helping me. You're doing everything right. But I don't want you to give up your life to help my mom."

"Spencer, you are my life." Victoria sighed.

Spencer's chest constricted. He lowered his head to rest his forehead against hers. "You know what I mean."

"I know."

"I love you." Spencer breathed, brushing his lips against hers.

"I love you, too." Victoria gasped. Spencer deepened the kiss, parting his lips to suck on her bottom lip. Spencer pulled her closer, letting out a moan as her teeth scraped his lip. He felt Victoria unbutton his shirt, leaving his chest bare. He shrugged out of his jacket and shirt. He lifted Victoria's sweater over her head. They backed toward the bed, losing articles of clothing along the way. They fell back onto the bed, where Spencer made sure to take a lot of time exploring and adoring Victoria's body. He wanted to memorize every dimple, crevice, scar and smooth plane. He rubbed down her sides, feeling the curve of her hips under his palms. He wanted to remember the feeling of her skin against his lips. Her breathy gasps and moans tingled down his spine, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. He moved up to capture her lips with his. She moaned when he entered her. He fell into a rhythm and buried his face in the crook of her neck to kiss her there. He made sure to stimulate her, too. He never wanted her to feel dissatisfied. He tried not to be too loud when he climaxed, but he had discovered that he was rather vocal in bed.

He remained on top of her, trembling and panting. Victoria huffed, a sheen of sweat glowing on her face. Spencer held her close and gazed at her face. His eyes moved along the bridge of her nose, observing the light freckles there. His eyes dropped to the bow of her full lips, still swollen from their kissing. Her lips parted as she panted, revealing a peek at her teeth. Spencer raised his eyes to hers. Dark blue lined the edges of her irises, with specks of green in the lighter blue towards her pupils. He saw a nebula in her eyes. He lowered his head to brush his lips against hers softly. They laid there for a few more minutes before Spencer moved. Victoria rolled on her side to face him. She snuggled closer, nestling her face against his neck. She let out a huff, her breath tickling his collarbone. He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her closer. His eyes fluttered shut.

His eyes snapped open when his phone rang. He kissed Victoria's hairline and sat up. He scrunched his lips, realizing his phone was in his pants pocket. He got up, feeling rather silly. He covered himself and squatted to search his pants pocket. He answered his phone on the last ring. "Hello?"

"Hey," said JJ. "We're all going to dinner at six, so be ready."

Spencer looked at the clock. It was only four-thirty, but he and Victoria were in need of a shower. "All right. We'll be ready. Thanks."

"No problem. Bye."

"Bye." Spencer hung up and turned to Victoria. "We're going to dinner at six."

Victoria sat up, using the sheets to cover her breasts. She glowered. "Take your shower first. I take longer."

Spencer nodded. He crawled on top of the bed and kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Victoria returned. "Now go get ready."

…

Victoria sipped her white wine through pursed lips. JJ prattled on about Henry's success as a young soccer player. JJ finished her story and looked at Spencer and Victoria. "Oh, that reminds me, Henry has been begging for you guys to take him to the park. If we get a free day when we get back, would you guys be okay with that?"

"Yeah, of course." Victoria said. She looked at Spencer. His smile failed to reach his eyes. She reached under the table and patted his thigh. Spencer looked at her and offered her a sad smile.

"So how'd you two meet? I feel like I've missed out on the story." Luke said.

"The BAU," Victoria replied. She skirted around the details like Korey, but relayed the story. Their story prompted the others to talk about relationships, which turned into groaning about terrible first dates. After dinner, the team packed up their suitcases and boarded the plane. Victoria curled up by the window and put her headphones on while Spencer got up to tell Emily that he was taking time off. Victoria leaned her head against the side of the plane and drifted off to sleep.

A hand on her knee awoke her. She inhaled and looked around. Her glasses were askew, so she readjusted them. Spencer peered down at her. "Ready to go?"

Victoria nodded. They grabbed their bags, said goodbye to the team and headed for the car. The drive back to their apartment was quiet. Victoria's chest felt rather empty. She would miss Spencer. They hardly ever spent a great deal of time apart. Spencer parked and shut off the car. Neither of them moved.

"Are you mad at me?" Spencer's voice sounded small.

Victoria looked at him. "No."

Spencer stared ahead. "I feel like you're disappointed."

"Spencer, I'm not. I'm sad you're leaving. I'd rather go with you." Victoria said, shifting to look at him more.

"I want you there, too," Spencer said, finally looking at her. "But you shouldn't take any more time off. Not for my mom, at least."

"I know," Victoria sighed. "I can function on my own. It's just… You're my person, you know? I like having you around."

The apples of Spencer's cheeks popped with a barely contained smile. He looked at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm glad you do. That might make our marriage pointless if you didn't."

Victoria kissed his cheek. "Just… Promise me that you'll call me, especially if it gets too much."

Spencer nodded. "I will. I promise," he said. Victoria nodded and moved to grab her purse to leave the car. "Promise me something."

Victoria stopped and looked at him. "Okay."

"Be careful on whatever cases you do while I'm gone." Spencer's eyes were bright with worry.

Victoria smiled. "I promise that I'll be careful. Scout's honor."

"You weren't a boy scout." Spencer frowned.

"I was a Brownie."

"That doesn't count."

"Does."

"Doesn't."

"You got the point, though."

"I did."

"You're just being difficult." Victoria huffed.

Spencer smirked. He leaned over a kissed her cheek. "Let's get inside before Ms. Cavanaugh starts spying."

"Spence, she's a nosy neighbor. She never stops spying." Victoria retorted, but she got out of the car. Spencer grinned. He helped carry their bags up to their apartment. Once inside, the newlyweds dressed into pajamas and climbed in bed. Victoria curled close to Spencer, not wanting morning to arrive.

 **…**

 **You guys, I am so sorry I haven't posted in a while! You'd think I'd have more time to write over the summer break, but… That has not been the case. We're getting closer to the angsty shit-show. Thank you to everyone who has faithfully reviewed and thanks to those who have added this story to their alerts. Please review!**


	57. Chapter 57

**_Surface Tension_**

The days parted from Spencer dragged slowly at first. Coming home to an empty apartment felt weighted. Waking up without Spencer spooning her but with a pillow that smelled like him instead settled an emptiness in the pit of her stomach. She was homesick in her own home. She had requested a few days off to visit her own family for Jason's birthday party. She took a flight to Shreveport, trying to ignore the persistent longing. She worried for Spencer. He remained vague about Houston on their phone calls, which intensified the hole in Victoria's stomach. Was Spencer keeping something from her?

She tried to brush away the hot flash that rippled from her shoulders down to the base of her spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat and rolled her suitcase up to her mother's house. She knocked on the door. Jason answered it and Victoria braved a smile.

"V!" Jason cried, spreading his arms. He enveloped Victoria into a hug.

"Happy birthday," Victoria replied.

"Where's Spencer?" Jason asked, looking around, as if Spencer were hiding.

Victoria's chest panged. "He couldn't come."

"Oh," Jason sounded disappointed. "Well, the party doesn't start for another hour or so. You can help set up."

"Sure." Victoria entered the house, her mouth tasting metallic as another sharp pang spiraled from her chest into her throat. She brought her suitcase into the guest room and laid her suitcase on the bed. She checked her phone. Still no messages from Spencer. Her heart sank a little. She sent him a quick text to let him know that she had landed safely. Then, she left the room and entered the kitchen to help set up for the party.

…

Spencer stared at the vials that Rosa Medina had given him. Well, the vials of medicine that he had paid for in cash. A lot of cash. More cash than he should have. He had told himself it was worth it. His mother needed this medicine. His mother needed him. It was dangerous. Too dangerous. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. But what choice did he have? He couldn't leave his mother. He had to at least try to do it himself. Meeting Rosa Medina across the border was illegal. It sickened Spencer every time he crossed, but he needed to do it. He needed to do a lot of things. And Victoria didn't need to know about any of it.

Spencer was relieved to be back in Houston. He picked up his phone and rolled it back and forth in his hands. He sighed and dialed Victoria's number. The phone rang three times before she answered.

"Hello?" She sounded weary, as if she knew something was wrong.

Spencer shoved aside the flowering anxiety. "Hey."

"What's up?" Victoria asked.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay."

"The clinical trial isn't helping my mom."

"Spence, I'm sorry."

Spencer's chest tightened. Victoria cared so much, she seemed to forget her own worries. He closed his eyes. "I don't think Houston is the best place for her anymore."

"Are you going to take her back to Las Vegas?" Victoria asked.

Spencer shook his head. "I was thinking about bringing her home with me."

Victoria was quiet for a long time. Spencer bit his lip, his heart pounding so hard that he felt it in his fingertips. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"I don't either," Spencer said. "But I think it would do her some good to be with me. You know, she's surrounded by strangers. It gets harder and harder for her to see me less. I want to take care of her. I've read a lot of books about the human brain, and we haven't even begun to scratch the surface on research."

"You think you know more than the doctors licensed to care for conditions such as your mom's?" Victoria did not speak with sharpness, but her words still stung.

"I think I know what's best for my mother." Spencer said.

"Maybe," Victoria allowed, "but what you read in books is not the same experience as reality."

"I know," Spencer insisted, "but I really think… I think it's best."

"Spencer…"

"Victoria, please. I… I have to at least try." Spencer begged.

Victoria said nothing for several seconds. Then, she sighed. "Fine," she said shortly, "we will try. But if it proves too much, then we'll put her in an assisted care facility."

"Okay," Spencer agreed. "Thank you."

"Yeah." Victoria muttered.

Spencer's chest stung. He could hear the irritation in her voice. "Victoria, please don't be mad at me."

"I… I don't know if 'mad' is the right word for it."

"Disappointed?" Spencer tried.

"I guess," Victoria sighed. "I want to help your mother, I do. I just… I feel like you're not telling me everything."

Ice trickled into Spencer's stomach. He licked his lips. "I am. I swear, I'm being honest." The lie tasted acidic, like vomit in the back of his throat.

"Okay. I'll see you when you get back."

"Wait," Spencer said. "You don't want to talk more?"

"I-I'm really tired, Spence." Victoria sighed. She sounded on the verge of tears. Spencer pressed his lips together.

"Okay. Well, I'll talk to you later, then."

"Yeah. Bye."

"I love you." Spencer persisted.

"I love you, too." Victoria murmured. She hung up.

Spencer kept the phone to his ear for a few more seconds before lowering it. He rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the dark green carpet of his hotel room. She didn't believe him. Or was he being paranoid? Perhaps she was just worried about his mother moving in with them. Perhaps she was just stressed over a case. Or maybe stressed about his mother. Spencer put his face in his hands. He wondered if bringing his mother home with him could break his marriage. He prayed that it didn't.

…

Victoria finished vacuuming and rolled the vacuum into the storage closet. She rubbed her palms on her jeans and did a last visual sweep of the apartment, making sure it was clean. She walked into the guest room and checked it for the third time. The bed was made. The sheets were clean. The books were on their shelves. The papers were in a neat stack. The wooden surfaces were dusted. Unease rippled up Victoria's spine. What if Diana decided that she did not like Victoria? The sound of keys in the lock froze Victoria in place. The front door opened.

"It's cleaner than I expected." Diana's voice floated through the cramped apartment.

"Yeah," Spencer's voice sounded softer than usual. The front door closed. "It looks like Victoria cleaned."

"Hmm."

"Victoria?" Spencer called. Victoria stepped out of the guest room and entered the living room. Spencer stood beside Diana, who held her carryon bag against her chest. Victoria's nervousness eased. Diana looked like an overgrown, frightened child. She was the stranger in the house, not Victoria.

"Hey." she smiled.

Diana's shoulders relaxed. "Hello."

"Do you want to sit down? I can take your bag." Victoria offered.

Diana hesitated and looked at Spencer for guidance. He nodded. "It's okay."

Diana faced Victoria and held out her bag. Victoria took it and brought it into the guest room. She returned to the living room to find Diana sitting on the couch, looking rather stiff. "Have you guys eaten?"

"Yeah, we had something at the airport." Spencer replied.

Victoria nodded. "How was the flight?"

"Awful," said Diana. "Terrible, awful, awful. Spencer knows I hate flying. But he dragged me on that plane anyway."

"It would've taken longer to drive." Spencer argued gently.

"Driving is more dangerous," pointed out Victoria.

Diana frowned at her. "What do you do for fun?"

Victoria blinked, taken aback by the change in subject. "Erm… I have a few hobbies."

"Such as?"

"Well, I paint. I like to read and sometimes write, but I don't think I'm very good at it. What about you?"

"I read," said Diana. "What was your major?"

"I was a double major in English and psychology." Victoria answered, her eyes sliding to Spencer's in askance.

He shrugged in response. Diana nodded slowly. "Do you have any tea?"

"Oh," said Victoria, "yeah. I have green and peppermint. Which would you prefer?"

"Peppermint."

"Do you want honey?"

"Only a little."

Victoria nodded and went into the kitchen, dragging her teeth across her bottom lip. This was going to be weird.

…

"And that's about it. Call me if you need something. If we have a case, we should only be gone for a few days, a week at most." Spencer said.

The young nurse looked around his apartment, rather apprehensively. "Okay."

"Thanks again, Kelly. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. Make yourself at home." said Victoria.

Kelly nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Reid."

"You can call me Victoria."

Kelly nodded. Spencer looked at his watch. "We gotta go."

"Yeah." said Victoria. Spencer grabbed his bag and keys. Victoria grabbed her purse and they left the apartment. They climbed into his car, and he backed out of the parking space with his torso turned to look out the back window. He changed gears and pulled out of the parking lot, hitting the freeway to head toward Quantico. Victoria's silence in the morning wasn't unusual, especially since she had yet to drink any coffee, but this morning it felt distant.

"Hey," Spencer kept his eyes on the road, but he noticed Victoria turn her head out of the corner of his eye. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah," Victoria's voice sounded strained.

Spencer pursed his lips. "Don't lie to me, please."

His stomach rolled in foulness. Was he not lying to her every time he went to Mexico for the medicine? Did that make him a hypocrite? Victoria inhaled deeply, withdrawing him from his thoughts. "I just didn't sleep well."

Spencer's heart twisted sharply, filling his mouth with a metallic taste. "You know that I love you, right?"

He looked at her when he parked the car. Victoria met his gaze. The corners of her mouth upturned. "I know. I love you, too."

"When this case is over, I promise I'm gonna take you out. We haven't gone on a date in a while." Spencer said.

Victoria's lips stretched into a closed-lip smile. "I'd like that."

Spencer leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I know this isn't easy for you. Thank you for being so supportive."

"Of course." Victoria smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She got out of the car, but Spencer hesitated. His stomach twisted. Was he being impossibly selfish, thrusting this upon her? Or was she truly just tired? He supposed they just needed time to adjust. He got out of the car and walked with her. He wanted to take her hand, but protocol prevented him. He crinkled his nose. Was he being paranoid, or did he feel a certain tension between them? It felt as if a weight hung in the air between them. It was light enough to be ignored, but heavy enough to send Spencer's stomach squirming.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a man. Spencer and Victoria stepped off the elevator, but the man widened his eyes. "Victoria?"

Spencer glanced at his wife, his brow furrowing in askance. Victoria raised her eyebrows. "Bradford?"

The man smirked. "You don't work in my department anymore, Victoria. You can call me Preston."

"Of course," said Victoria. Her eyes flickered to Spencer, who longed to reach out and put an arm around her waist. "Preston, this is my husband, Spencer."

"Yeah, I heard that you got married," said Preston. He held out a hand for Spencer to shake. Spencer grimaced inwardly and shook Preston's hand. "Preston Bradford."

"How'd you two meet?" Spencer asked.

"Worked in the OVA for years. How's the BAU treating you?" Preston looked at Victoria.

She smiled. "They haven't hazed me too bad."

Preston raised his eyebrows slightly. "Yeah, considering you married one of them."

Spencer smirked and looked at Victoria. She met his gaze. "Yeah." Her lips pulled into a small smile. This time, it reached her eyes. Spencer relaxed, feeling the tension between them lessen.

"I'm gonna go set up. I'll see you in a few. Nice to meet you, Preston." he said.

"You too." said Preston. Spencer left the hall and entered the bullpen to unpack his bag at his desk. He felt lighter, and a slight smile tugged at his lips. He pulled a few books out of his bag and set them on the desk.

"Hey! Welcome back!" JJ's voice brought Spencer's attention toward her.

He grinned and jumped from his seat. He embraced his friend. "I missed you so much!" He let go and noticed the man beside her. "You must be Walker."

"Great to finally meet you." Stephen Walker said, keeping his hands in his pockets. Spencer instantly liked him for that.

"It's really great to finally meet you. I've heard nothing but wonderful things." It was the truth; Victoria had talked about him.

"Uh, okay, speaking of wonderful things, let's have it. How's your mom doing?" JJ asked.

"She's okay. You know, we have good and bad days." Spencer said.

"So are you still going to Houston on the weekends to visit her?" JJ tilted her head.

"No actually, I –Excuse me," Spencer cut himself off when his phone rang. He answered it.

"There's water everywhere, I don't know what to do!" Kelly cried frantically.

Spencer's face darkened. "What?"

"She filled the sink and I didn't know because I was making tea in the kitchen and she was napping, but there's water everywhere!" Kelly rambled. "She keeps accusing me of spying and threatening to hurt me!"

Spencer's chest frosted. "All right, stay there. I'll be right there. I'm on my way, okay?"

"Okay." said Kelly, sounding calmer.

"Thanks." Spencer hung up the phone and began packing his bag up again. "Sorry guys, I have to go."

"Everything all right?" JJ asked.

"A water pipe broke at my apartment. Tell Prentiss that I'll call her when I can." Spencer lied easily. Bile rolled down his throat and settled in his stomach. Lying didn't use to be so easy. Spencer hurried past Victoria.

"Spence!" she called.

He pressed the button to summon the elevator and turned to look at her. "Emergency at the apartment."

Victoria's furrowed brow flattened with realization. "Call me later."

"I will." Spencer promised. He jumped on the elevator and then raced to his car. Worry rattled his insides the whole drive home. He felt the world in a blur. He hardly noticed the drive, or even taking the steps two at a time. Suddenly, he was in his apartment. Water soaked the floor. Wet towels littered the surface. Books laid sodden. A picture frame was shattered. One of Victoria's paintings was ruined. Spencer squatted to pick up a book and the picture frame. It was a picture of his wedding day. The color of his suit bled into the white of Victoria's dress. Spencer's heart sank a little. Victoria was not going to be happy.

"Don't worry, I'm never coming back!" Kelly shouted, marching into the living room.

Spencer shook some of his hair out of his eyes and straightened. "Whoa, what are you doing?"

"Leaving." Kelly snapped.

"You can't leave. We have an agreement. You signed a contract." Spencer argued.

"The contract didn't say anything about a crazy person threatening my life! She did _this_ " –Kelly gestured to the mess –"on purpose! Goodbye." Kelly stalked out the door.

Spencer stared after her. He was so stunned that he didn't hear Diana enter the room. "Is she gone?" Diana breathed.

Spencer turned, his chest itching with irritation. "Mom, what did you say to her?" His voice had risen an octave.

"She was trying to get information from me. Kept asking questions!" Diana rushed forward to slam the door shut and locked it.

"Of course she was," Spencer insisted, "She's supposed to."

"I told you to be careful about the people you bring into this house. There are spies everywhere!" Diana yelled.

"She's not a spy. She was here to help you." Spencer's voice wavered.

"Shh! She might still be out there listening," Diana pressed her ear to the door. Spencer looked toward the ceiling, stifling a sigh with a lick of his lips. "Don't ever let her come back in here again, please. Promise me."

"I will promise you that, because she is never coming back! She walked out!" Spencer shouted. His voice echoed strangely throughout the apartment.

Diana closed her eyes and sighed. "Good. Because we can only trust each other now. Just you and me. Nobody else!"

"Mom, you can trust me and Victoria and the nurses we bring here. We won't bring in anyone who tries to hurt you." Spencer assured her.

Diana narrowed her eyes. "Who's Victoria?"

Spencer shifted, nausea flowering in his stomach. "My wife. Mom, you've met her."

Diana furrowed her brow and tightened her lips. Spencer's shoulders slumped.

…

"Victoria, what's going on? You look exhausted." JJ said.

Victoria lifted her head. "I'm fine."

"We've seen you 'fine' and that not what it looks like." said Rossi.

Victoria huffed. "Maybe we should go over the case." Her phone rang. Emily nodded her assent to let Victoria take the call. She got up and entered the back room, where the coffee pot sat, emitting a comforting aroma.

"Hey," Spencer sounded as tired as Victoria felt. Her shoulders dropped. Perhaps she had been too harsh on him.

"What happened?" Victoria murmured.

"Mom flooded the apartment by letting the bathroom faucet run. It's not too bad. Some books, a painting and a photograph are ruined. Kelly quit." Spencer replied.

Victoria sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Is she okay now?"

"Yeah, she's taking a nap." Spencer replied.

"Are you okay?"

Spencer was quiet for several seconds. "Yeah. I won't be able to join you on the case."

"I have to tell the team. They're very good profilers. They've been interrogating me ever since you left."

Spencer's chuff of laughter brought a small smile to Victoria's lips. "It's okay. You can tell them. Thank you for making sure it was okay, first."

"No problem. I gotta go. They're waiting on me."

"Okay. I still want to be tapped in and help with the case. I called Garcia and she said she could add me to the video conference." Spencer said.

"Okay. I'll tell them."

"Love you."

"Love you, too." Victoria hung up and turned to face the team. They all stared at her expectantly.

"So?" Rossi queried.

"Short version: Spence took his mom out of the clinical study in Houston early and brought her home with him." Victoria replied.

"Why?" Tara asked, her brow knitting.

"He said the experimental medicine wasn't working." Victoria shrugged.

"Which facility are you guys putting her in up here?" Walker asked.

"We aren't. Spence wants her to stay with us."

"At your apartment?" Luke frowned.

Victoria shifted and rubbed her arms. "Yeah."

"The instinct is admirable, but does Reid have any idea how difficult that's gonna be? Do you?" Emily said.

"I do. If he didn't, he's getting a crash course now. This morning Diana got into a fight with the new caretaker, then she let the bathroom faucet running, flooded the apartment and Kelly quit. But, Spence still wants to be patched in for the video conferencing now." Victoria took a seat, ready for the team's attention to be directed elsewhere.

"Garcia's standing by." JJ agreed.

Victoria shot her a grateful glance. JJ smiled softly in return. The screen blinked with an image of Garcia. "Hey-o. Beaming Reid into the Starship BAU." The screen split and Spencer appeared on screen.

"Hey. There's my favorite genius. Welcome back." Rossi said.

"It's good to be back. I'm sorry about all this trouble." Spencer replied.

"No, don't be silly. And if there's anything we can do to help, just let us know." Emily brushed him off.

"Thank you. I had a chance to look over the case files. Do we know anything new about the two victims in Tampa?" said Spencer.

"Only about how little there is to learn, and Garcia can't find any connection between Helen Bollinger and George Findley." Tara answered.

"Which isn't that surprising," piped up Walker. "Homeless vet, upper middle class suburban mom. Not much overlap there."

"What about their personal lives?" asked Luke.

"Well, George was homeless, so his personal life was sort of problematic. Helen, on the other hand, ticks every box on the wholesome soccer mom checklist. President of her PTA, super active at church, heavily involved in charity work." said Penelope.

"Spence, have you looked at the ink marking yet?" JJ asked.

"I did. Whatever it is, it doesn't come from traditional sources of art, mythology and literature. Except for the incomplete base of a triangle, the design is evocative of the pagan symbol for Earth." said Spencer.

"Garcia, look into other questionable suicides and accidental deaths in the Tampa area recently." Emily instructed.

"Searching that. On it." Garcia tapped a button and ended the conference call.

"Rossi, when we land, you and Lewis check in with the M.E. Alvez, see what you can find out about George Findley. JJ, you and Victoria talk to Helen Bollinger's husband. Walker and I will set up with the local P.D." said Emily.

Victoria exchanged a glance with JJ before leaning back in her chair. She twirled her wedding ring around her finger. She stared out the window without blinking much. She hardly noticed JJ settle in the seat across from her.

"Hey," JJ murmured. Victoria looked away from the window and blinked, her eyes drier than usual. JJ frowned. "Are you okay?"

Victoria straightened. "Yeah. Just worried about Spence."

"Yeah," sighed JJ, "me too."

…

Spencer glanced up when his mother entered the living room. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

Diana hugged herself and shrugged. "I don't know. Okay, I guess."

Spencer swallowed. He perked up and swiveled in his seat. "Look what arrived while you were sleeping." He picked up a package and slid out a large book.

"What is that?"

"It's your old scrapbook. I had Uncle Gordon send it from Las Vegas. Look." Spencer stood beside his mother and flipped through the pages.

"What's it for?" Diana asked. Spencer glanced at her and creased his brow.

"It's a scrapbook, Mom. You started this one in high school. See? You put pictures and things in it that you want to keep forever. I thought it might help bring back some nice memories," Spencer explained. He checked his watch. "It's time to take your medicine." He closed the scrapbook and set it down.

Diana grabbed his wrist. "No, no! It tastes terrible! What if it's poison?"

Spencer's lips parted with an exasperated smile, but his stomach twisted. "Mom, it's not poison. Remember when you first started taking it in Texas? You felt so good that we were able to go on that trip to San Antonio. It's not poison," he assured her. He held her hands in his for a moment. She eyed him and tightened her lips. Her grip remained tight around his hands. He patted her wrist. "Just wait here."

Spencer hurried into bedroom. He opened his sock drawer and withdrew a few vials of the experimental medicine. He hid the others in a drawer. He circled the apartment and entered the kitchen, where he poured some of the medicine into a glass of orange juice before returning to Diana. He held out the glass. "I put it in some orange juice so that it wouldn't taste so bad."

Diana narrowed her eyes at the glass, her nose crinkling and her upper lip curling. Spencer's shoulders slouched. "Mom, come on." he urged, taking her hand and placing the glass into hers.

She looked into the orange juice for a moment. Spencer fidgeted and licked his lips. "Are you going to stand there and watch me?" Diana demanded.

Spencer pressed his lips together and dipped his head. "Yes."

Diana scowled. At last, she placed the glass to her lips and gulped down all of the contents. When she finished, she opened her mouth. "Ahhh." She hung her tongue out, showing him that she had drunk it all.

Spencer chuckled. "You don't have to do that."

Diana closed her mouth and smacked her lips. "Of course I do. I have to do whatever you want."

Spencer watched his mother wander to the couch, where she sat and stared at the wall. He pursed his lips and stepped into the kitchen to call Victoria. The phone rang twice before she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey," Spencer greeted.

"Everything okay?" Victoria's voice sounded tight.

Spencer felt as if wasps buzzed from his stomach up to his throat. The tension between them had not lessened, it seemed. He cleared the lump in his throat. "Yeah. She seems like she's feeling a bit better."

"Good." Victoria replied.

"Are you okay?" Spencer's brow furrowed.

"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "Yeah, just tired."

Spencer's mouth twisted. "You'd tell me if something were wrong, right?"

"Of course," Victoria assured him in a honeyed voice. "I gotta go, babe."

Spencer's throat dried. He licked his lips and tried to ignore the palpitations in his chest. "Okay." His voice wobbled. Victoria ended the call, and chills rippled down Spencer's arms. He felt slightly nauseous. He knew what a lie sounded like, especially from her.

…

"Are you sure you're okay?" JJ asked, her eyes narrowed.

Victoria huffed. "I really wish everyone would stop asking me that."

"We're worried about you. You don't look fine, no matter how much you insist that you are." JJ replied.

Victoria's eyes burned. She brought the heels of her hands to her forehead as a headache threatened to approach. Her breath shallowed as she tried not to cry. "I don't know what to do," she whispered. "We didn't really talk about it. I don't think it's healthy for any of us, but I know how hard this has been on him. So I told him we could try it. But… I didn't realize how hard it would be on me, too. And I feel like the biggest asshole for not wanting his mother to live with us."

JJ was quiet for several seconds. She reached out and placed a hand on Victoria's back. "He shouldn't have placed this on your shoulders without talking with you about it more. But it'll get better. You'll find a routine and soon it'll be normal. Or you'll both decide to place her in a new facility, but keep her close, you know? You're not an asshole for not wanting this, Victoria. Spence doesn't have just himself to think about anymore. Maybe, before you guys married, it wouldn't have been as big of a deal, especially when you still lived alone. But marriage takes hard work and compromise. It takes a while to figure that out, but you'll get it. He needs to learn it, too. If you need anything, even if it's just a night off, tell me. Okay?"

Victoria nodded and blinked hard, allowing some tears to escape. She drew in a shaking breath. "Okay. Thank you."

"Hey," said Tara, entering the room as Victoria wiped her eyes quickly, "it's time to give the profile."

Victoria nodded and sniffled. She looked at JJ. "Do I look like KISS?"

JJ laughed. "You look fine. You good?"

"Yeah. I'm good."

…

Spencer waited for Victoria to call him. It was late. She had gone with the team to track down the unsub. He bounced his knees, his heart pounding against his ribs. His mind wandered to the events of the day. He glanced at his mother, now asleep. His fingers ghosted his cheekbone, which still ached from his mother's blow. But that hurt less than the lack of recognition in her eyes. He would rather her hit him and yell that she hated him than hear her say she didn't know who he was.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but he jerked awake when someone shook him. His brow furrowed as he focused on Victoria. "You wanna come to bed?" she murmured.

Spencer pushed himself out of his slouch. "I'm gonna sleep in here tonight, to make sure she's okay."

The tightness in Victoria's face pained his chest. She turned and left the guest room. Spencer frowned and followed her. He grabbed her wrist. "Hey, talk to me."

Victoria pulled her hand free of his. "There's nothing to talk about."

She turned away again. Spencer pressed his lips together and looked toward the ceiling. "Obviously there is. Victoria, please," Spencer begged. His forehead crinkled. "I don't want to fight you, too."

Victoria crossed her arms. "I just… I don't think this is a good idea. And I don't feel like you gave me much of a choice in the matter. You basically announced that you were bringing her home with you."

Ice trickled down Spencer's spine. "I couldn't leave her in Houston."

"You could've," Victoria snapped. "You're so brilliant that you think that you can fix this better than the doctors who are trained for it can. You don't have just yourself to think about anymore. You have me. You realize that we can't really start a family while your mom lives here?"

Spencer froze and widened his eyes. "Y-you want to start a family?"

Victoria rubbed her eyes with flat fingers. "Of course I do."

"I thought you wanted to enjoy being married first?"

"I do, but that's my point! We can't really do that while we take care of your mom."

Spencer pursed his lips. "So we don't even try?"

Victoria's ran her hands through her hair. "I said we could. But this is placing a lot of stress on a very new marriage."

"You don't think we can handle it?" Spencer's lips tugged downward.

"I don't know, Spence. I just feel like you didn't really talk to me about this, and you should've." Victoria sighed.

Spencer's chest hurt. "I asked you if I could."

"But I felt you'd resent me if I said no." Victoria whimpered.

Spencer pursed his lips. "I wouldn't resent you."

"She's your mom, Spence. I… I don't know anymore." Victoria rubbed her eyes again.

Spencer licked his lips. "You don't know what?"

"I don't know why we're fighting anymore. I'm just contradicting myself. I feel like you should've talked to me more about this, and I'm frustrated because you're too smart." Victoria sank onto the couch, her shoulders hunched forward.

Spencer shoved his hands into pockets. "You're mad at me because I'm too smart?"

Victoria looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. Spencer felt his heart seize. "You think you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, Spence. And I love you for it, but you also have trouble realizing when you're in over your head. This isn't a math problem that you can solve. This isn't a puzzle. These are our lives. Your mother's, yours and mine. I want to help her. But it's hard to when she doesn't even like me much."

Spencer's brow knitted. He knelt in front of her. "She doesn't know you very well, that's all. Let me try. Please, give it more time. It's not easy for me, either."

"God, I know. I feel like the biggest asshole for being angry with you about this. I don't know what I'd do if it were my mother." Victoria lowered her head and shuddered with a soft sob.

Spencer's eyes burned with tears and his throat ached. He cupped Victoria's face with his hands. "You're not an asshole, sweetheart," he assured her. "But please, I need you on my side, okay? I'm sorry about all of this. You're probably right about all of it. But you could be wrong. I love you, and I need you. I can't fight you and her. Please."

Victoria nodded slowly. "Okay. We can give it more time."

Spencer smiled. "Thank you."

"But please sleep with me. I don't want to lose you even though we live in the same apartment." Victoria breathed.

Spencer nodded. "You're not going to lose me. We can get through this. We've been through worse."

Victoria let out a watery chuckle. "Yeah."

Spencer kissed her forehead. He helped her to her feet and they wandered to their bedroom. Victoria flicked on the lights and sorted through the drawers to withdraw their pajamas. When she turned, she stiffened. Spencer looked around. "What is it?"

Victoria strode toward him and brushed the tips of her fingers along the bruise on his cheek. "What happened?"

"I bumped into something." Spencer's neck tingled with the lie.

Victoria glowered. "Spencer."

Spencer sighed. "I got into a fight with my mom and she hit me."

Victoria's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

"I was worried anyway!"

"I didn't want to add to it."

"Spencer, come on," Victoria growled. She examined the bruise for a heartbeat. "Don't keep things from me, please."

Spencer's mouth dried. "I won't. I promise."

Victoria kissed his cheek. "I love you."

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling it roll down to his stomach like a stone. "I love you too."

 **…**

 **Thanks for the reviews! Next up is "A Good Husband" and then we get into the angstfest. I'm not gonna lie, the angst is going to be pretty heavy. I'll try to sprinkle as much fluff as I can, but Season 12 didn't allow much opportunity for rainbows and unicorns, lol. Anyway, please review!**


	58. Chapter 58

**_A Good Husband_**

"Mom, do you want some pancakes?" Spencer murmured, shaking Diana awake.

Diana blinked and furrowed her brow. She placed her palm to her forehead. "What's the occasion?"

"No occasion," Spencer smiled, "just wanted a good breakfast. Come on."

Diana got up and pulled on her bathrobe. "It smells nice."

"You'll have to tell Victoria that." Spencer smiled.

Diana stopped in her tracks. "Victoria? No," Diana's face blanched, "no, no, no, no. We can't trust her."

Spencer frowned. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"She's probably poisoned the pancakes! How could you be so stupid!" Diana yelled.

Spencer's heart dropped into his stomach. "Mom, she didn't poison the pancakes. You know Victoria, remember?"

"I know that she can't be trusted! I can't believe you married her! I told you that we can only trust each other, yet you let that woman into this house! What a stupid, awful mistake!" Diana turned on her heel and slammed the bedroom door behind her.

Spencer gaped after her. He turned around, his heart nearly stopping when he saw Victoria in the doorway. She bore no expression, save for the widen of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry, I guess it was just one of her episodes…" Spencer attempted.

Victoria inhaled. "It's fine. I'm gonna head to work a little early, if that's okay."

Spencer's heart plummeted. "Okay."

…

Victoria entered the bullpen, her chest feeling quite hollow. She dropped her purse on her desk and contemplated sitting or grabbing coffee. She decided on coffee and walked into the rec room. She grabbed her mug from the cabinet above the coffee pot and then poured herself a cup. She added cream and sugar to it until it no longer resembled coffee.

"Tired?" Penelope chirped as she walked into the room, fixing herself a cup of tea.

"You could say that." Victoria muttered, sipping some of her weak coffee.

Penelope's cheeriness faltered as her brow twitched. "You sound sad. Why do you sound sad?"

Victoria sighed. "I don't think I should talk about it."

"Why not?"

"Spence…" Victoria trailed off, hoping Penelope would understand.

Penelope frowned. "Come to my office."

Victoria watched Penelope stalk off without waiting for a reply. Glancing down at her coffee, Victoria attempted to ignore the constriction in her chest. She followed Penelope into the lair and sat in one of the chairs. Penelope swiveled to face Victoria, turning her back to the computer screens.

"What's going on, love?" Penelope sipped from her tea while she waited for Victoria respond.

Victoria lowered her gaze. "I don't think I can handle Spencer's mother living with us anymore."

"Oh honey," Penelope sighed, "that was a lot for him to place on you both in the first place. I don't think he realized how hard it was going to be. Have you talked to him about it?"

"Yes," Victoria leaned back, her eyes prickling. "I told him we could try. But… Every time I think it's getting better, it takes a turn. Sometimes she seems to like me, and then sometimes she's accusing me of poisoning the pancakes and telling Spencer that he made a mistake marrying me."

"You know Reid doesn't feel that way, right? He loves you. I haven't seen him this happy… ever. I mean, you guys were happy before, but… I think he loves being married, and I think he loves being married to you. Because he loves you." Penelope replied.

"I know. I just…" Victoria trailed off. "It still hurts to hear her say that. Spencer values his mother's opinion."

"He values you, too." Penelope murmured.

Victoria nodded. "I know. I just can't help but feel like we're way in over our heads. And I feel awful for wanting to put his mother in a facility, but at the same time… Having her live with us is putting a strain on our marriage."

"I don't know what to tell you exactly," admitted Penelope, "because I am not married. But… JJ is. And Rossi was. And Derek is. Reid listens to Derek. Maybe you guys could talk to him?"

"I feel like this is something we need to work on ourselves." Victoria muttered.

"Well… What are you going to do?" Penelope asked.

"I have no idea… Suck it up a bit longer, maybe. I told him we could try. We haven't tried very long. Maybe I just need to give it more time." Victoria said.

"And if it doesn't get better?"

"Then I'll tell him I tried. I'm just worried he won't do it. I'm worried that he'll talk me into letting her stay because I'll feel guilty or something." Victoria ran a hand through her hair.

"If that happens, let me know so that I can smack that boy upside the head. He shouldn't make you feel guilty for your feelings on this."

Victoria managed a smile. "Thanks, Pen."

…

Spencer did not fail to notice the stiffness in Victoria's shoulders around him. He noticed the way her eyes flicked away from his and her intense focus on the case during the briefing. She was avoiding him. It tore at his heart to see that she was hurt and couldn't talk to him about it. Maybe she was right. Maybe Diana living with them strained their marriage too much. But the thought of placing Diana into a facility pulled at his chest, as if someone were trying to pry his ribcage apart. He had a finite amount of time left with his mother.

"Reid?" Emily's voice snapped Spencer from his thoughts. He turned, raising his eyebrows at her in expectance. "Hey, are you good?"

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. I'm good," he said. The look Emily gave him cracked some of his resolve. "I'm a little frazzled."

"How's your mom? You've got your hands full, I'm sure."

"I finally found an in-home nurse who knows what she's doing. It's just we've had a little trouble coordinating our schedules." Spencer replied.

"Do you think you should be there to help ease the transition?" Emily queried.

"No, I think it's important that my mom learns to rely on nurse Campbell."

"She's your mother," Emily argued, "if you need more time, take it."

"Oh, all that I need is a comprehensive plan to help me balance being at home with her and doing my work here."

"Then you should take the time to do that." Emily insisted.

"That's just the thing. By distracting my conscious mind with work, it will allow my subconscious mind to form a plan at roughly ten billion time the speed." Spencer replied.

Emily dipped her head, though she looked rather taken aback. Spencer walked past her. He stopped in his tracks, seeing Victoria at her desk, her face in her hands. JJ placed a hand on Victoria's back. JJ murmured something to Victoria, who shook her head. Spencer parted his lips, his heart cracking.

JJ glanced up and met his gaze. She shooed him away. Spencer backed out of the room and nearly toppled over Penelope. He steadied her and grabbed a napkin from the rec room to wipe his hands from his spilled tea.

"Hey," Penelope said after a moment, "don't put up your walls."

"What?" Spencer queried.

Penelope bit her lip. "Look, it's not really any of my business, but V was really upset today. She's scared to talk to you about it, and I think it's because you've put up your walls. I don't know. I shouldn't have said anything."

Spencer considered his tea. He pursed his lips, irritation blossoming in his chest. "No offense, Garcia, but you're right. It's not your business."

Penelope blinked, her eyes flashing with hurt. Spencer's stomach twisted. Penelope shuffled out of the room before he could apologize. Spencer sighed and looked toward the ceiling. He swore under his breath and took off for the jet.

Spencer followed Emily through the Florida Police Department, listening to the chief tell them about the conference room set up for them.

"Any I.D. on the second victim yet?" Spencer queried.

"No. But I've got fifty thousand residents worried we have a serial killer on our hands." said Chief Bailor.

"Is that the first victim's ex-wife and daughter?" Emily murmured, tilting her chin toward the room where a little girl sat on the floor playing with her doll. Her mother watched her with heavy eyelids.

Chief Bailor nodded and pursed his lips. "Madison was supposed to see her dad yesterday."

Even after twelve years of the job, Spencer still felt a pang for the children of victims in the cases. Emily grimaced. "Do you mind if we talk to them?"

Chief Bailor inclined his head, giving them a silent affirmative. Spencer dipped his head to the chief and muttered, "Thank you." Spencer entered the room first and waved at Madison. "Hi."

"Oh, if you're from Social Services, I haven't told her yet." Madison's mother stated.

"Are you gonna take me to my daddy now?" Madison queried, tilting her round face up to look at Spencer and Emily.

"No, not yet, sweetheart," said Emily. She turned to the mother. "Actually, we are from the FBI."

"What's FBI?" Madison asked.

"Whoa!" Spencer cried, diverting Madison's attention to him as he sat down, "That is a cool doll. What's her name?"

"Sally," said Madison, glancing at her doll. She smoothed the frizzy hair of the doll down, only for it to pop back up. She met Spencer's gaze. "She has the same hair as you."

Spencer bubbled with chuckles. He glanced at Emily, still grinning. Emily offered him a small smile in return. Emily looked back at Madison's mother. "Do you mind if my colleague Dr. Reid takes Madison to get a snack and we can chat for a few minutes?"

"Maddie," said Madison's mother, "you be a good girl and you get something nice and you come right back, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy." said Madison.

Spencer stood. He remembered seeing a vending machine near the front doors. He gestured for Madison to lead the way. "After you."

Madison hopped in front of him. She looked up at him. "What's FBI?"

"FBI? You know, we're kind of like the police. Let me ask you this -have you ever had a peanut butter and jellyfish sandwich?" Spencer replied.

Madison's face contorted. "Eww! Have you?"

"No, but I want to try one." Spencer said.

"Yuck!"

"Do you think it would give me superpowers?" Spencer queried, grinning.

Madison shook her head. "No!"

"Why not? Spider-Man got but by a spider. If I ate a jellyfish, you don't think I'd get superpowers? I could be Jellyfish-Man." Spencer said.

"But it was a special spider," Madison explained.

"Oh, so I have to find a special jellyfish."

"And you don't eat it, you have to get bit!"

"Jellyfish don't bite, they sting."

"Like a bee?" Madison peered up at him as they stopped in front of the vending machine.

Spencer smiled. "Yeah, sort of like that. What do you want?"

Madison examined the contents of the vending machine for a while. "Mmm. Reese's!"

"Reese's? My wife loves those." Spencer said, fishing out a dollar for the candy.

"Is she here?" Madison asked.

"Not right now, but she will be." Spencer replied, punching in the number for the Reese's.

"You should get her one, too!"

"That is the best idea I've heard all day," Spencer praised. He bought a second Reese's.

"What are you getting?" Madison asked.

Spencer frowned. He hadn't planned on getting anything, but he decided to indulge Madison a little longer. "I don't know. Should I get something chocolatey or fruity?"

"Ummm… Fruity."

"Skittles?" Spencer suggested.

"Yeah!"

Spencer purchased the Skittles and led Madison back to Emily and her mother. Madison rushed into her mother's arms, showing off the Reese's.

"Maddie, what do you say?"

"Thank you!" Madison sang to Spencer.

He smiled. "You're very welcome."

…

Victoria looked over the case file, sitting on the bed in the hotel room while Spencer brushed his teeth. She heard the water running, heard him spit and rinse his mouth. The case involved an unsub attacking men who failed in their relationships. The water shut off and Spencer entered the room.

"Please talk to me." Spencer muttered.

Victoria glanced at him. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Victoria, don't do that. Obviously there's something bothering you."

Victoria sighed and closed her eyes. "What your mom said really hurt."

Spencer moved closer to her. "I know it did. I'm sorry she said that. You know she gets during her episodes."

Victoria looked at him, her eyes prickling with tears. "I do know. But… I don't know if I can do this. She makes it hard when she doesn't like me."

"You don't like her, either." Spencer muttered.

Victoria's chest constricted. "Don't like her? Spencer, that is not fair. I have done my best. I bring her breakfast in bed when she refuses to come out of her room. I fixed up the guest room for her. I struggle to talk to her. I try really hard. But… She doesn't want to talk to me, Spence. She doesn't want to trust me, and she doesn't want you to trust me. That really makes it hard to like her."

Spencer dragged his palm over his face. "This is exactly why I broke up with you when I found out she had dementia."

Victoria's breath hitched. Tears pooled in her eyes. "No, it isn't. You broke up with me because you were scared of developing it. You're still scared. Don't make excuses or lie. Do… Do you regret marrying me? Is that what you're trying to say?"

Spencer looked as if she had slapped him. "That's not what I meant. Of course I don't regret marrying you. I-I love you so much. I'm just scared, okay?"

"Of what?" Victoria breathed.

Spencer shoved his hands in his pockets and licked his lips. His eyes flitted around the room, avoiding her gaze. He finally looked at her. "Every time something good happens to me, something bad follows. I married you, and I was so happy for a short time and then my mom got worse. Then you agreed to let her live with us, and I was happy again. I got my hopes up and now… I don't want this to drive a wedge between us. I don't want to lose you. I don't know if… If I'm strong enough for that."

Victoria's shoulders slumped. She felt herself soften. "I may be angry, I may be hurt, but… You're not going to lose me. Lately I've been feeling… Forgotten by you. I know she's your mother and you love her. You're trying to do what's best. I'm trying to love her, too. She raised you, so some part of my already does love her. I'm doing my best to adjust. But I feel like you don't listen to me sometimes. You see that I'm hurt and you don't defend me. You don't talk to her. You talk to me instead. It doesn't get better. She keeps doing things to show that she doesn't like me much. And nothing changes. I don't know how to make this better. I don't want to add to the weight on your shoulders. It's just… When you're home, you don't feel like you're really home. It feels like I'm living with a ghost, not my husband. That's what bothers me most." Tears slipped out of Victoria's eyes and dripped down her cheeks.

Spencer dropped his chin to his chest and hunched his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Victoria. I know I've asked a lot out of you, too. And this case… I feel like I'd be the perfect victim for the unsub."

"Don't say shit like that," Victoria snapped. Spencer looked at her. Victoria felt her eyes blaze. "We're not broken. It's a rough patch. We've been through worse. I now we can get through this. Just… Talk to your mom, okay? And… help me. Sometimes I don't know what to say to her. And Spence, I love you. I want you there with me, too. Really there. Okay?"

"Okay," Spencer vowed. He sat beside her on the bed. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Have you brushed your teeth yet?" Spencer asked suddenly.

Victoria raised a brow. "No?"

Spencer reached into his pocket and withdrew a Reese's package. Victoria smiled. She reached for it. Spencer returned her smile and crossed over to her. "The first victim's daughter suggested I get it for you."

"That was sweet of her. And you." Victoria kissed his cheek.

Spencer wrapped his arms around. "When we get our vacation, we're gonna go on a real honeymoon."

Victoria turned her head. "Well… We can practice for it, if you want."

Spencer raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Practice?"

"Shut up," Victoria teased, pushing him back.

Spencer laughed and tickled her sides. Victoria giggled and squirmed beneath him. Spencer ceased his tickling to kiss her neck. Victoria slid out from underneath him.

"Let me go freshen up."

Spencer let her go, his eyes bright with softness.

…

Spencer dialed Cassie's number while he sat in a car. He rested the camera in his lap. The phone rang for a few seconds before Cassie answered.

"Hello?"

"Nurse Campbell, hi. It's Spencer." Spencer said.

"Hello, Dr. Reid." replied Cassie.

"How's she feeling?"

"She's resting now. The new meds have her pretty wiped out. But when she's up, her confusion and paranoia are pretty intense." said Cassie.

"If you can just remind her where she is and reassure her that everything will be okay, I'll be home soon." Spencer said.

"Can I ask you something?" said Cassie.

"Yeah, of course."

"Are you sure that having her here is the best thing? She'd probably be better off in a comprehensive care facility."

Spencer's heart froze. "I'm trying to give my mother the best possible care, and it's just… I feel like she feels safer and happier with me at home."

"Maybe if you were here all the time, she would. But when you're gone, she's suffering." Cassie replied gently.

Spencer's mouth dried and hot flashes whipped his back. "Sadly, I can't talk about this right now. I have to go. Okay? But I'll talk to you soon."

"Goodbye, Dr. Reid."

"Bye." Spencer hung up, his heart fluttering. He snapped a few more pictures of the mourners. He pushed thoughts of his mother to the back of his mind.

…

The case ended rather smoothly. The team packed up their things and boarded the plane, tired and ready to go home. Victoria slid into a seat close to a window. Spencer sat next to her. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Rossi clucked his tongue. "I'm going to need the two of you to calm down with all that P.D.A."

Victoria stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled and opened a book. Victoria leaned against the wall of the jet and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes and drifted off to the hum of the jet's engine. She awoke as the plane swooped for descent. She yawned and stretched. She gripped her chair as the plane touched the ground. Once it stopped, the team grabbed their bags and exited the jet.

Victoria walked toward her car while Spencer walked toward his. She drove home, blasting Halsey through the speakers. She parked in the designated parking and waited in her car until Spencer pulled up and parked. She got out of the car and grabbed her bag. When she turned, Spencer was grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey," Spencer murmured.

Victoria stopped walking. "What?"

"I'm going to Houston to see if I can get my mom back into the program." Spencer looked at the ground.

Victoria blinked. "Whoa, what?"

Spencer sighed. "Cassie thinks it's a good idea… She said something about if I were here all the time, my mom would adjust. But I'm not here all the time, and she's suffering. I don't want her to suffer. I don't want you to suffer. So, I'm going to Houston. I asked Emily for the time."

Victoria shifted. "Spence, I said I'd try…"

"It's not that, sweetheart," Spencer said, touching her waist. "I've been thinking a lot about it. And I think if enough people are telling me that I should, maybe I should listen."

"I didn't want to stamp on your dreams of helping her, though." Victoria cringed.

"You didn't. Victoria, really. It's not your fault. Don't worry about it." Spencer insisted.

"Well, you know me. I'm always going to worry." Victoria said.

Spencer smiled. "I know." He pulled her toward him. She rested her head on his chest and let out a sigh. Part of her was relieved while the other writhed with guilt. Maybe she hadn't tried hard enough. Maybe she should've been a better wife. Maybe she should've been more supportive. But she couldn't help but feel the weight of Spencer's mother lift from her shoulders.

 **…**

 **Oh, how wrong Victoria is… Sorry for the late update. School started again, and I'm already drowning. I just need to fix a schedule so that I can write. Anyway, I hope to update again within the next few weeks. Please review!**


	59. Chapter 59

**_Spencer_**

Victoria frowned as she checked her phone. She hadn't heard from Spencer since last night, which was unusual for him. She tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it returned every few seconds, knocking on her brain. Biting her lip, she texted Spencer. She checked her phone every few minutes, but still no response.

"Victoria?" Emily called.

Victoria raised her eyebrows, turning toward Emily, who stood in the doorway of her office. "What's up?"

"Come here." Emily retreated into her office.

Victoria's heart trembled as she stood from her desk and crossed the bullpen to Emily's office. When she entered, she noticed David sitting in a chair, looking quite pale. Victoria swallowed, but her heart only beat faster. "What's going on?"

Emily and David exchanged a glance. Emily met Victoria's gaze, the corners of her mouth drawn. "Reid's been arrested."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"I just got a call from a Mexican police department. Reid's in jail." Emily clarified.

The words still made no sense. Victoria frowned, trying to piece the information together. It sounded as though Victoria were missing a chunk of information like, _Reid's in jail on special assignment._ But Emily merely stared at Victoria, her brow knitted. Victoria swallowed and licked her lips.

"Mexico?" Victoria breathed. She shook her head. "W-what was he arrested for?"

"Drug possession," Emily said.

Victoria nearly laughed. She ran a hand through her hair. "Drug possession," she repeated. She rubbed her face with her fingers and then placed her hands on her hips. "So, what do we do?"

"I'm going to split the team. Some will go down to Mexico. Some will stay here. We're going to do whatever we can to figure what's going on. Most likely, this is Scratch." Emily said.

Victoria clenched her teeth. If she ever saw that rat-faced piece of shit, she would punch his teeth out. "I'm going with you."

Emily frowned. "What about Diana?"

"I'll call Cassie. Emily, please," Victoria's voice broke. Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't leave him there by himself. I must see him. I won't let it get in the way of the case. You can take me off the case if you need to. I just… I need to see him. Please."

Emily softened and nodded. "Okay. Call Cassie. I'll tell the team. It's going to be okay."

Victoria blew out a breath through pursed lips. She dipped her head and stepped out of the office while Rossi and Emily ventured to inform the team. Victoria dialed Cassie's number, clacking down the hallway. She plugged one ear to hear better.

"Hello?" Cassie answered.

"Cassie, hi," Victoria murmured.

"Hello, Mrs. Reid. Everything okay?" Cassie said.

Victoria's chest tightened. "Um… Yeah. Something's come up with the team. We have a case. We'll be gone for a few days. Is that all right?"

"Yes, that should be fine. Are you sure everything's okay? You sound upset." Cassie persisted.

Victoria inhaled, tilted her head toward the ceiling and blinked back tears. "Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Okay." Cassie did not sound convinced. "Well, let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you, Cassie," Victoria replied thickly. "You're a great help."

"My pleasure, Mrs. Reid."

"Victoria."

"Victoria." Cassie corrected herself.

Victoria smiled and sniffled. "Okay, I'll keep you updated. Thank you so much."

"Of course."

Victoria hung up and took a few deep breaths. She trained her eyes upward to hold back her tears. Footsteps sounded behind her. She turned. Emily's brow tightened. "You okay?"

Victoria breathed a bitter laugh. "I'm holding it together. Are we ready to go?"

"Yes." Emily replied. Victoria followed Emily out of the bullpen. They made their way to the hangar and boarded the jet.

"JJ said she'd keep an eye on Diana while you're gone, to help Cassie out." said Rossi.

Victoria nodded as she took a seat on the jet. Her heart pounded and reverberated through her skull. Her eyes glazed. She blinked several times to snap back to reality. She felt as if she were floating. Everything felt faded. Emily set up a conference call with the rest of the team once the jet was airborne.

"This has got to be Scratch. He was laying low. Now we know why." said Tara.

"Crossing the border as a fugitive is a huge risk." argued Luke.

"But the reward is greater. He's punishing the team. Now his target is Reid." said Emily.

"Peter Lewis dropped off the map after attacking Tara's family. Maybe he's been hiding in Mexico this whole time." said Walker.

"We also have to consider that this isn't related to him." said Emily.

Rossi scowled. "Who else would it be?"

"Drug cartels," said Luke, "could have threatened Reid to use him as a mule."

"Agreed," said Rossi, "this could simply be a case of bad luck. Reid was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I checked on Spence's mom. She's okay. Cassie says all is stable." said JJ.

"Oh, thank the stars." said Penelope.

Luke frowned at Victoria. "How long did he say he'd be gone?"

Victoria blinked and furrowed her brow. "Uh, three days."

"That sounds reasonable," said Emily. "After the Palm Springs case, Reid said he had to get back to Houston to talk to his mom's doctor."

"Well, Houston is only a five-hour drive from the border." said Tara.

Victoria shook her head. "I can't believe I didn't pick up on any of this."

"He didn't want you to," said Walker. "And there's no way you could've guessed he'd end up in Mexico."

"You had no reason to mistrust what he told you." added JJ.

"The question is why did he go down there?" said Tara.

"And why did he have narcotics?" Rossi added.

"Yeah, that! He wouldn't. He wouldn't do that." said Penelope. Victoria nodded. "I'm not going to share any secrets because I'm not supposed to. But those drugs were planted on him."

"Absolutely," agreed Walker. "But there's something much bigger at play here. That's why he crossed the border and kept it a secret. There's something he didn't want to share with any of you, not even his own wife."

Victoria's stomach lurched. What would Spencer want to keep from her? Why? The only logical answer was to protect her in some way. Or maybe he wouldn't tell her due to shame.

"Okay," said Emily, "so what would make Reid risk everything?"

"His mom," Victoria blurted.

"And you," said JJ.

Victoria shook her head. "But there's no reason to risk everything for me. I feel like he was honest about taking time off for his mom. He just lied about Houston. His mom's the one with deteriorating health, not me."

"But if someone threatened you, Reid would risk everything to protect you." argued JJ.

"But both of you are here, and you're safe." said Penelope. Victoria folded her arms. She didn't have an answer. She suddenly felt as if she stood on the edge of the galaxy, staring into the void. Her husband had become a ghost, a stranger to her.

"Oh," Penelope's voice drew Victoria back. "Cruz just sent me the arresting report. It says here that Reid was involved in a high-speed chase."

"What?" Emily demanded. "He hardly ever drives."

"None of this sounds like him," said Penelope. "It says he was wearing jeans, he was really confused… According to the arresting report, he was really high on something."

Victoria's heart sank lower into the cavity of her chest. She shook her head. "No. He wouldn't."

"Not after what happened with Tobias Hankel." JJ agreed.

"Who's that?" Luke queried.

"An offender with D.I.D. who kidnapped and drugged Reid." said Emily.

Victoria closed her eyes. Spencer never talked about that experience. He had told her about it, sure. She had read the details in his file. Sometimes he awoke from a night terror, crying into the night that he wasn't weak. He had told Victoria about dying and coming back, the flashbacks and the torture. He had told her about his drug addiction, though his shame practically radiated off him. She could only imagine how disgusted he would feel knowing he had been drugged.

"What does the report say about the intent to distribute?" asked Rossi.

"Uh, it says he was charged with constructive possession. And in the duffel bag there was cocaine, cash and three bricks of heroin." said Penelope.

Silence met her words. Victoria closed her eyes and shook her head. She prayed that she would wake up. She knew she wouldn't. It wasn't a dream.

…

The light hanging above Spencer's head beckoned to him. He leaned back his head, feeling disconnected from his body. He knew this wasn't normal. Yet, he could do nothing. The light flashed -no, his mind flashed -and like a ghost, he sat in a wooden chair ten years ago. His head throbbed, he could feel the blood on the side of his head sticky as it dried. The cool air brushed the sweat on his forehead, freezing him, even though his skin burned. Tobias Hankel knelt in front of him and wrapped a belt around his bicep.

"No," Spencer pleaded, "please, I don't want it. I don't want it."

Tobias plunged the needle into Spencer's vein.

…

When Victoria entered the Mexican police department, her heart fluttered into her throat. She could taste her own nervousness, sharp and rusty on her tongue. She hardly listened to Emily and the sheriff exchange formalities. She barely saw the department. Her vision seemed to fuzz around the edges. She blinked to jerk out of her daze.

"He was definitely high and driving like a maniac with twenty thousand dollars' worth of heroin in his possession, both of which put my officers at risk. You're in my jurisdiction. The rules are different here."

Something about the sheriff's words sent shivers down Victoria's spine. She jumped when Luke touched her arm. She frowned at him. He nodded toward a cell. Victoria followed his gaze and a gasp escaped her lips. She swore her heart stopped for a moment, too.

Spencer sat on a bench, hunched over in a cell. Dr. Spencer Reid, the federal agent with three doctorates, her husband, was in a cell. Her head rushed and she swayed. Luke grabbed her elbow.

"You all right?" he murmured.

Victoria met his gaze, her lips dry. "I…"

"Let's go see him," Luke suggested, tugging her along gently. Victoria followed without feeling the floor beneath her feet. They reached the cell. Victoria looked at her husband through the bars. Redness rimmed his eyes. His hair was messier than usual. It was greasy, too. One of his sleeves was rolled up and the other hung down by his wrist, unbuttoned. Dirt covered his jeans. A bandage enveloped his right hand.

"Hey, Reid," Luke said. Spencer turned his head toward them. Victoria's heart snapped. Spencer's eyes held no recognition within them. He stared at them, dazed. "It's good to see you, brother. It's me, Luke. And Victoria."

Spencer blinked. Recognition flooded in his eyes, which still appeared clouded. He stood. "Luke, Victoria," he croaked. "Thank you for coming."

Victoria huffed. _Thank you for coming to my dinner party._ He was in a jail cell for heaven's sake!

"Of course." said Luke.

"We're gonna get you out of here, kid." said Rossi, joining them. Rossi placed a hand on Victoria's elbow. She released some of the tension in her body.

"We need to work out some details with the locals, okay?" said Emily. Spencer nodded slowly. Victoria's chest ached seeing him so confused.

"Who was your contact down here?" Luke asked.

Spencer's eyes rolled back in thought. "Rosa," he croaked, rolling up his sleeve. "Rosa Medina." Written on his arm was the very name. "I think she's a doctor."

Luke took a picture of the name on Spencer's arm.

"Where did you meet her?" Rossi asked.

"I don't know." Spencer murmured.

"If you saw her, would you remember her?" queried Luke.

Spencer's eyes roved toward the ceiling again. Then, he nodded several times. "Yeah. I think so."

"You're missing time, aren't you?" Emily guessed.

"It's peeking out. Coming in flashes." Spencer confirmed.

"And you've been drugged." Emily said.

"Yeah," Spencer replied, "but I didn't take it myself."

"Well, of course you didn't, Spencer. We're thinking it might be Scratch." Emily said.

Spencer looked at Victoria, then at Emily. "Scratch?"

Victoria swallowed a gasp. Spencer didn't even remember Scratch. Luke's cell phone rang and he excused himself. Victoria blinked back tears and moved closer to the bars.

Spencer regarded her. "How's my mom?"

Victoria's chest hitched and her knees buckled. She wrapped her arms around her stomach. "She's fine."

Spencer nodded. "Good."

Victoria took a step back from the bars, struggling for air. Rossi placed a hand on her back. "He's just out of it, kiddo." he murmured in her ear.

She nodded, but that didn't push away the sharpness in her chest. Luke returned. He flashed his phone at Spencer. "Is this the doctor you met?"

Spencer eyed the picture. Then, he nodded. "Yeah."

"Her alias is Rosa Medina. Her real name is Nadie Ramos. Garcia tracked her to a motel just outside of town. Sound familiar?" Luke explained.

Spencer shook his head. "No."

"We'll need to take Castenada and his officers with us." Emily said.

Rossi turned to Spencer. "You want company here?"

Spencer shook his head. "No. I'm okay."

Victoria's heart twisted tartly and a metallic taste flooded her mouth.

…

Spencer returned to the bench, hugging himself. He drifted. He gripped the edges of the bench to ground himself. His body was not floating. He was on solid ground. The room tilted then stabilized. He figured the high was coming down gradually, but his heart raced. How long would it take? How much was in his system? God, the look in Victoria's eyes… He didn't need to be sober to never forget that look.

He had never wanted her to see him like this. He had never meant for this. He never wanted to hurt her, yet here he was, ripping her heart out and taking bites of it to spit in her face.

Spencer had no idea how much time passed before Emily and the others returned. Judging the looks on their faces, whatever they had to say wasn't good. Emily glanced at Victoria, whose face bore tear streaks. Spencer's heart cracked. Emily stepped forward. "Nadie Ramos is dead." The breath left Spencer's body. He jerked as if to double over. Instead, he turned his back to them. "We know you didn't do this."

 _But the police think I did._ Spencer took a few deep breaths. "How did it happen?"

"She was stabbed, multiple times. It looked personal." Luke muttered.

"We got the results of your blood work," said Castenada, entering the cell. "There's cocaine and heroin in your system."

"What else?" Emily demanded.

"He was in possession of cocaine and heroin when he was arrested. I found what I needed."

"No," snapped Emily, "I need a full tox screen panel. We're looking for scopolamine."

"That'll take longer."

"I don't care. I need it." Emily replied coldly.

"You were given a speedball. The opiates block the dopamine. That's why things go from clear to hazy. The combination of the drugs causes a dissociative state and explains the memory loss. Are you coming down now?" Luke added.

Spencer nodded. "I think so."

"Do you think you could do a cognitive interview?" asked Emily.

"I'll try." Spencer answered.

"Do you have a quiet room we can use?" Emily turned to Castenada.

"Yes," said Castenada. He turned to Victoria. "You're the wife?"

Spencer glanced at her. Victoria eyes widened. "Yes."

"I'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind." Castenada said.

Victoria glanced at Spencer before turning her attention back to Castenada. "Okay."

Castenada nodded in thanks. He held up a plastic bag containing five vials. "There were five of these in your bag at the motel. Recognize them?"

Heat washed over Spencer. He shook his head. His throat closed with the lie. Castenada nodded. "I'm going to put it through the lab. Mrs. Reid, if you'll come with me." He walked out of the cell. Victoria glanced at Spencer one last time before following Castenada out of the cell.

Spencer licked his lips. "Whatever's in those vials, I was giving it to my mom. That's the only thing I'm sure of."

…

Castenada settled in front of Victoria, peering over a case file. Victoria stared at it. Spencer's case file. Spencer's suspect file. She closed her eyes for a moment to steady herself as she took a seat. She crossed her arms.

"Mrs. Reid, where were you when we arrested your husband?" Castenada interrogated.

"I was in Quantico. I work at the BAU with him." Victoria answered.

"Did you know of his whereabouts?" Castenada questioned.

"No," Victoria replied. Her eyes burned. "He told me he was going to Houston."

"Why?" Castenada demanded.

"For his mom," Victoria answered. She shifted. Some part of her felt defensive of Spencer, like she had to protect him from Castenada. But the other part knew that she couldn't lie. "She has dementia."

"So, he told you he was going to Houston," said Castenada, "and you didn't know he crossed the border?"

Victoria's vision swam and her eyes burned again. "Right," she confirmed. She inhaled. "He's never given me reason not to trust him."

Castenada stared at her for several seconds. "Sometimes we don't realize we're living with a monster."

Victoria's eyes snapped to Castenada's. "He is not a monster. I know you have evidence and you think he did this, but you don't know him. He's a good man. He's being an idiot right now, but he is _good_. You don't know him."

"Apparently neither do you," said Castenada. "You had no idea he crossed the border. He's lied to you. He doesn't seem like a good husband to me."

Victoria's breath hitched. She pressed her lips together. "He didn't kill that woman. He didn't take those drugs on his own. He's a good man."

"I understand this is hard for you to take in," said Castenada kindly. His eyes regarded her with softness. "You don't know anything, which means you can't be incriminated. Everything will work out in the end."

Victoria stared at him. His words chilled her. Where had she heard words like that before? Her breath suspended. She had said words like that to the family of unsubs before. She had said things like that to families of the victims. She was a victim. Spencer's victim. She was an unsub's unsuspecting wife in Castenada's eyes.

She inhaled sharply. "Are we done here?"

Castenada nodded. He stood and opened the interrogation room door. Victoria walked out, her arms still folded across her chest. She returned to the main area of the police department. She spotted Luke, David and Emily almost immediately. They all stood stiffly, wearing equal grim expressions. Victoria made her way over to them.

"What's wrong?" she asked. They looked at her with drawn brows and soft eyes -similar to the look Castenada had given her. Victoria held her breath. "Someone please tell me."

"They just charged Reid with the murder of Nadie Ramos." Luke muttered.

Victoria's muscles tightened. Her stomach lurched. She pushed past them and rushed to the bathroom. Doubling over the nearest toilet, she vomited. She leaned against the stall wall, trembling. Her face crumpled and she dissolved into tears.

She didn't know how long she sat there before she heard footsteps enter the bathroom. They were heavy footsteps, a bit too thick for a woman. She frowned and wiped her face with the sleeve of her cardigan.

"Victoria?" Luke called.

"Yeah," Victoria replied. She flushed the toilet and stood. Her legs shook as she exited the stall. "You know this is the women's restroom, right?"

"Yeah," Luke said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Prentiss is talking with Matt and Clara from the international department. I came to check on you."

Victoria hugged herself. "Sorry. I'm not much help on this case."

"Don't apologize," said Luke. "We understand. But I think Reid needs you."

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "I-I don't know how to help him."

"I think he just needs you there." Luke said.

Victoria buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "He lied to me. I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Victoria," Luke said, grabbing her shoulders, "he loves you. You know that. You know he didn't do this."

Victoria nodded. "I know. I just… I'm so scared for him. God, this can't be happening. I just want to wake up."

"You are awake," Luke reminded her. Victoria shook with another sob. She knew that. She just wished it weren't true. "He's scared, too. He's coming down from the high, and the reality is setting in. And you're not there."

Victoria looked at Luke, her eyes wet. "What do I say?"

"I don't think there is anything you can say. Just be there."

Victoria nodded. She wiped away her tears. "Thank you. I don't usually do this."

"Considering the circumstances, I think you're allowed at least one breakdown." Luke smiled.

Victoria returned it. She pushed out of the bathroom and hurried to Spencer's cell. He looked at her and something in his eyes flickered. His brow twitched. Victoria crossed over to him and took his hand. He gazed down at her and his lips twitched. Castenada entered the cell.

"It's time for his transfer." he announced.

Victoria felt Spencer stiffen. She squeezed his hand. There was no way in hell she'd let them take him to some Mexican prison.

It seemed Emily felt similarly. "We've had a break in the case. The victim was also American, and that calls for extradition."

An officer approached Victoria and Spencer. The chains in his hands clinked. Victoria's heart fluttered. "Step away, Señorita."

With a dry throat, Victoria stepped away. She moved slowly, and the world seemed fuzzy. The term floated in the back of her mind -she had heard it dozens of times in cases -depersonalization. Somehow knowing the term for why she felt disconnected, why the sounds seemed to echo and the images seemed blurred didn't do anything to bring it all back into focus. She felt her lips part and her eyes glaze. She looked at Spencer. He seemed the most real.

His wide eyes and his parted lips brought Victoria back. Her chest tightened. She had only seen Spencer look so scared a few times. This time did not fail to bring tears to her eyes. His wrists and ankles were cuffed. The officers led him out of the cell. Victoria turned to Emily, struggling to breathe.

"What do we do?" she breathed.

Emily gaped at Victoria for a moment before dialing a number on her phone. "With the victim having dual citizenship, we now have concurrent jurisdiction. It was my understanding that the official order to extradite SSA Spencer Reid would be evaluated." she said. Whoever was on the other line talked back for a moment.

Victoria watched through the bars as Spencer looked over his shoulder at her. She tried to breathe around the tightness in her chest.

"I understand, thank you." Emily said. Victoria tore her eyes away from the hall, down which Spencer had disappeared. She looked at Emily, wide-eyed. "They're taking it to their BRASS. Go get him."

Victoria looked at Luke. The two of them took off down the hall. They jogged around the corner. The officers ushered Spencer through a door. Victoria's heart beat painfully. Luke ran ahead of her. "Hey, stop!" he called. "We just got word that he's under our jurisdiction."

"We'll be taking him back to the U.S." Victoria added, panting.

Spencer's jaw dropped and he let out a small gasp. Victoria offered him a tiny smile. She grabbed him by the arm and led him back to the main area with Luke. The Mexican officers took the cuffs off of Spencer's wrists and ankles. Victoria let out a deep breath.

"We're working on all channels here," said Emily. "Matt Cruz is on with the consulate right now. We could get an immediate extradition, but it's just the beginning."

Spencer lowered his eyes. "I really screwed up this time. I'm so sorry."

Victoria's heart cracked. Emily shook her head. "It was for the right reason." she said.

"I don't know what happened. But I know I didn't kill anyone." Spencer replied.

"We do, too." said Victoria. Spencer looked at her before his eyes flickered away. Victoria's heart sank.

"Hey," said Clara, entering the cell, "they approved the extradition."

"Effective immediately." said Matt.

For the first time, the beginnings of a smile brushed Spencer's lips. Victoria returned it. She followed him out of the cell, feeling lighter.

…

Spencer slid out of the SUV. His wrists were cuffed once again for the public eye. He kept his head bowed, hoping his hair hid his face. He had grown used to the heat in his neck. He pulled away from Victoria, though that thickened the tightness in his throat. He boarded the jet. He turned to Luke.

"I can't thank you enough." Spencer muttered. He knew that Luke had gone to check on Victoria.

"Hey, man, it's all good." Luke said. "I'm just glad you sound like yourself again."

"Me too." Spencer replied.

"Okay, so here's the deal that Cruz made. We can stop by the BAU when we land, but then we'll drive you into the district and take you to the federal jail. Since you are under investigation for murder, these cuffs are going to have to stay on until you are arraigned." Emily unlocked the cuffs. "But you're not a flight risk up here."

"Thank you," Spencer murmured. His wrists felt weightless without the handcuffs. "Circulation is a wonderful thing."

"The moment there's a chance for outside witnesses, these go back on." Emily warned.

Spencer nodded. He knew the protocol.

"Have you talked to anyone about the legal team?" Clara asked.

"Yeah. Stephen Walker made some calls to the BAP to get the best we can." said David.

"The BAP's a great group. You'll be in good hands." said Matt.

"Mark my words kid, this whole thing's been a nightmare, but we're gonna get you out of this." said David.

Spencer nodded, his throat too tight to formulate a response. Luke's phone beeped. He looked at it. "Prints and samples from the crime scene came back to our home lab. They've found proof that backs up your cognitive. There was a third person in that room."

Emily looked relieved. "You're not out of the woods yet, but I swear we won't lose you."

Spencer nodded, his eyes prickling. Everyone moved to take a seat for takeoff. Spencer chose a seat near the back. Victoria approached him, her arms crossed. "May I join you?" she murmured.

Spencer nodded and scooted closer to the window. Victoria sat beside him. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Spencer whimpered, "I'm so sorry."

Victoria was quiet for several seconds. "Why didn't you tell me about this? You crossed the border multiple time. You lied to me."

Spencer closed his eyes. A few tears escaped past his lashes and splashed down his cheeks. "I know. I'm sorry. I… I wanted to protect you. I knew what I was doing was wrong. But… I didn't want it to hurt you. I never imagined it would come to this."

"No one could've foreseen this." Victoria whispered.

Spencer's stomach knotted. "I never wanted you to see me like that."

"Like what?"

Spencer hesitated. He closed his eyes. "High."

"There are a lot of things about this that I never wanted to see." Victoria replied.

Spencer flinched at the bitterness of her tone. She was angry, and she had every right to be.. Tears slid down Spencer's cheeks. "I didn't want you to worry."

"Well, you fucked up on that one." Victoria snapped.

Spencer winced. "I know, I know." He sighed. "You know my story with Tobias Hankel. You know I was addicted to dilaudid for a while."

"Yeah," Victoria muttered. "Which is why I know you didn't take the drugs willingly."

"But I never wanted you to see me like that. I kept pushing you away at the jail and on the way here because I'm scared this will change how you think of me." Spencer muttered.

Victoria took his hands in hers. "Spencer, look at me," she said quietly. Spencer obliged. His wife swam before him as tears filled his eyes anew. He blinked, clearing his vision. Tears dropped down his cheeks. "I'm mad that you kept this from me. But I understand it was to protect me. If that isn't the sweetest -but dumbest- thing someone has ever done, I don't know what is. I know you didn't mean for this to happen. I know that. Which is why I can't stay mad at you. The only reason it hurt me to see you like that was because it worried me. I never want to see you in pain like that. It hurt to see you high because I knew you would be disgusted with yourself when you came down. And I don't want you to feel that way. Spencer, I love you. You're amazing and you don't deserve any of this to happen to you. You've dug yourself into a hole, yeah. But I'll be damned if I don't jump in that hole with you. No matter how this plays out, I will still love you. I've got you, okay?"

Spencer stared at her, his eyes burning. He nodded quickly and rested his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes, allowing more tears to spill over. He shook slightly as he cried. He pulled her closer to him. "I want to hold you while I can." he murmured. Victoria wrapped her arms around him. "I love you so much." Spencer breathed. Victoria held him tighter in response. They held each other like they would disappear if one let go.

When the jet landed, Spencer let go of Victoria. His arms ached from gripping her tightly for so long, but the ache was a ghost of her in his arms, so he found he didn't mind it. Emily re-cuffed him. He looked at Victoria. She appeared pale, but she pressed her lips together and her eyes shone. She dipped her head to him. She still had his back. She was still in the hole. Spencer straightened. He didn't want to drag her down with him. He refused to do that. But he could face this with her by his side.

They took the elevator up to the BAU bullpen. Spencer stepped off to find the rest of the team waiting. JJ stepped forward. "Hi," she greeted. She embraced him. When she pulled back, she placed her hands on Spencer's wrists, which were covered with an FBI jacket. "I'm so sorry. It's only because other people might see."

"It's okay." Spencer assured her.

"We know you didn't do anything wrong." JJ said.

Spencer's chin quivered. "I should have told you guys I was going there. I never imagined in a million years it would have turned out like this."

"No one thought that this could happen. Look, you're not alone in this anymore. Okay? No secrets." JJ replied.

Spencer nodded. "Deal."

"My turn," said Penelope, squeezing Spencer in a hug as JJ backed away. When Penelope pulled back, she cupped Spencer's cheeks. "Your color's better. All I had to look at was that mugshot. It had me really worried."

Spencer's chest cramped. _I have a mugshot._ A metallic taste flooded his mouth as Tara said that they were all really worried.

"Glad you're back." said Stephen.

"Me, too." Spencer replied. He widened his eyes. "How's my mom doing?"

"She's fine. You don't need to worry about her, I promise." said JJ.

"I can't help it." Spencer smiled slightly.

"Trust me, Garcia had meals delivered to your mom almost every night." said Tara.

Spencer's lip trembled. Penelope Garcia was an angel. Penelope brightened. "And that nurse you hired is amazing." she said.

Spencer lowered his head and nodded. "Cassie? Yeah, she's great."

"I brought the boys by. Your mom really loved them." said JJ.

"I bet she did," Spencer smiled. "She isn't very subtle about wanting grandchildren."

His chest tightened sharply and his breath caught. Would he get to have children with Victoria? He pushed the thought away. This wasn't the end. He would be okay. He wasn't alone. His team was with him. They weren't going to let him rot in jail like a criminal. He forced himself to believe that.

 **…**

 **Thank you for the reviews! I managed to write this one pretty quickly. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and enjoy the future angst-fest. Please review!**


	60. Chapter 60

**_Collision Course_**

Spencer's body ached. The "bed" the precinct jail had for him was more like a metal bench with a cushion on it. The blanket covering his body scratched the skin that peeked out from under his shirt. The sound of a door opening woke him. He pushed himself up, his joints cracking. A door closed. Spencer looked up through the bars to see Emily peering at him.

"Hey." she greeted.

"Hey." Spencer returned. "You should be in the office."

"I'm right where I need to be. You okay?" Emily replied.

Spencer nodded, though his chest stiffened. "Yeah, I'm okay." He stood. "How's my mom doing?"

"She's doing well. JJ's been by to visit every day since your arrest. I think Victoria needed the help in breaking the news to your mom." Emily replied.

"How is Victoria? Is she on a case?" Spencer asked, his brow wrinkling.

"No," said Emily, "she's on her way here. She went to pick up a suit for your trial."

Spencer averted Emily's gaze. He shook his head. "I'm such an idiot."

"Don't, Spencer, don't. You were trying to help your mother."

"I fell right into Scratch's trap," Spencer argued.

"He won't win."

"He already has!"

"Just the battle, not the war." Emily assured him. Spencer's heart wrenched sharply. He exhaled and closed his eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"You and I both know that doesn't matter," Spencer retorted. His voice wavered. "All that matters is what the prosecutor can prove, and Scratch has stacked the deck against me. Even the FBI's abandoned me." His voice broke. He crinkled his nose and sniffed to keep his tears at bay.

"I know," Emily murmured, "but we'll keep fighting."

"I don't even have a lawyer."

"About that… I have a friend, Fiona Duncan. I've known her forever. Her father was in the foreign service, and we met in Italy when my mother was Charge D'Affaires at the embassy there. After college she was a Rhodes scholar. You'd like her," Emily insisted as Spencer rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, now she's one of the best defense attorneys in D.C. I would like it if you let me reach out to her about representing you."

"Emily, I really appreciate it, but you helping me could destroy your reputation at the Bureau." Spencer replied.

"My battle, my choice," Emily chided gently. "Please, let me help you. Tell me I can reach out to my friend."

Spencer considered her for a moment. Emily's eyes shone. He blinked as his throat constricted. He swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed his lips together. He sniffed and nodded. "Thank you."

Emily sighed. "Good. Spencer, listen to me. We are gonna get you out of here, I promise."

Spencer stared at her. He didn't want to tell her not to make promises she couldn't keep. He appreciated her determination, but this seemed like a battle already lost. But he nodded.

Emily relaxed. "I'll send in Victoria when she gets here."

Spencer nodded. "Okay. Thank you."

…

Victoria clenched the steering wheel until her nails dug into her palms. She clenched her teeth until her jaw ached and then clenched harder. Spencer should not be in jail. He was too soft for jail, too kind. Too Spencer Reid. Tears pricked her eyes. She looked toward the ceiling and inhaled. Her jaw relaxed and she released the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath, she clambered out of her car and walked inside the jail, Spencer's suit folded in her arms.

"Are you here for someone?" asked an officer.

"Y-yeah," Victoria paused to clear her throat. "Spencer Reid."

The officer looked her over. "Are you here for his case?"

"Yes." Victoria replied.

The officer shrugged and led her through the main lobby to a door. He sent Victoria through a metal detector. She stripped of her gun, badge and purse. She walked through the metal detector and re-equipped herself. Then, she followed the officer to a door down the corridor. He waited for a buzzer to sound. It blurted and Victoria jumped. She entered the jail hallway. Some inmates peered at her and some flashed her a dirty smile.

"Hey, baby, why don't you come in here and let me show you a real man?" sneered one of the inmates. Victoria stared straight ahead and ignored him. Finally, she reached Spencer's cell. He jumped up as soon as he noticed Victoria. For a moment, they stared at each other through the bars.

Spencer shook his head. "You shouldn't have come."

Victoria lifted her chin. "Spencer, don't do that. Don't push me away."

Spencer gestured down the hall. "I don't like hearing them say things like that to you."

"I don't either, but if it's the price I have to pay to see you, I don't care."

Spencer rubbed his face. "I'm such an idiot."

"Don't say that," Victoria sighed. "You made a mistake and Scratch took advantage of it."

"And now I've left you alone." Spencer shook his head and paced his cell, his arms crossed.

"I can handle being on my own," Victoria insisted. She bit her lip. "I hope this suit is okay."

Spencer stopped pacing and returned to the bars to look at it. He nodded. "It's fine."

Victoria's eyes pricked again. She swallowed the lump in her throat. It rolled down her esophagus and lodged in her chest. "I told your mom where you are; I hope that's okay."

Spencer pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. "How'd she respond?"

"Uh, she cried," Victoria replied heavily, "blamed herself. But… She forgot. I didn't really have the heart to remind her, so I just said you're on special assignment."

Spencer nodded. "Thank you." He frowned. "Have you told your family yet?"

"No. I, uh… Don't think I want to." Victoria swallowed. "What about Derek?"

Spencer's frown furthered. "What about him?"

"He's asked to see us. We made plans to visit over Christmas, but… What do I tell him?"

"Don't tell him I'm in here," Spencer pleaded.

Victoria parted her lips. She swallowed and then nodded. "Okay. I'll come up with an excuse."

"Thank you," Spencer rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask you to lie like this."

Victoria shrugged. "You're embarrassed. You don't need a lot of people involved."

Spencer rubbed his chin. "I'm sorry if this hurts your reputation with the Bureau."

"I don't care," Victoria snapped. "I never planned on being head honcho. Even if I did, I wouldn't care. You're what matters to me."

Spencer's eyes sparkled with tears. "I should've put you first, and I am so sorry that I didn't. I… Victoria, you deserve so much better than this."

"Spencer, please, don't." Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "You deserve better than this. I don't want to talk about what should've been done. Okay? We're in this now. Let's face this first and then figure the rest out."

Spencer lowered his head and sniffled. When he looked up, tears streaked his cheeks. "Whatever happens, know that I love you."

Victoria's face crumpled. "I love you, too."

…

Spencer followed his escort into the meeting room. Emily stood in the room, her head bowed with another woman. Emily's eyes flickered to Spencer's and she nudged the other woman. Spencer entered the room.

The other woman turned and smiled grimly. "Spencer, hello."

"Hi." Spencer returned.

"Fiona Duncan. Emily speaks very highly of you." said the woman.

"You, too. It's nice to meet you." Spencer replied.

Fiona's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances." Her voice was husky, but it wasn't unpleasant. Fiona turned to Emily. "Emily, this is an attorney-client meeting. We'll need privacy."

"Yes, of course," said Emily. She knitted her brow. "Will you be okay?"

Spencer nodded. He caught Emily by the elbow as she strode past him. "Will you check on Victoria for me?"

"Of course." Emily squeezed his arm and then left the room.

Some of the tension faded from Spencer's shoulders. He took a seat across from Fiona, his heart racing. Fiona folded her hands and placed them on the table. "I know you're aware of this, but I need to remind you that everything we discuss is covered by attorney-client privilege. It's confidential. Not even Emily or your wife will know what we discuss."

Spencer nodded, though his stomach twisted. "I understand. Thank you."

"So, tell me what happened in Mexico."

Spencer's mouth dried. "I did not kill her."

Fiona nodded. "Okay. I'm just asking what happened."

Spencer averted Fiona's gaze and pinched his brow. "Sadly, I don't know."

Fiona lifted her chin. "That's a problem. Because I don't need you to be innocent, but I do need to be able to assist in your own defense."

Spencer twiddled his thumbs underneath the table. "There's a lot I don't remember."

"Okay, I want to be very clear about this. I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to defend you. My goal is a simple one: to keep you out of jail. But in order to do that, I need a narrative. Your story. If you killed her, I can work with that. But what I can't work with is a client who lies to me. Because those lies will always come back to bite us on the ass. And by us, I mean you. Lying to me could mean the difference between you going home to your wife and mother or spending the rest of your life in a cage. Do you understand me?"

Spencer's jaw tightened. He nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Because I need to know everything. I don't care how bad it makes you look. I need to know."

Spencer nodded. "Okay."

"Let's start with what you're not telling Emily." Fiona said. Spencer's brow furrowed and his lips parted. Fiona tilted her head. "You remember more than you're admitting."

Spencer shook his head. "I don't, honestly, I-I told the Mexican police everything. I told Emily everything."

Fiona raised an eyebrow. "Well, that was very cooperative of you. Too cooperative for someone who has intimate knowledge of the criminal justice system, even someone on drugs."

"I wasn't on drugs, I was drugged." Spencer snapped.

"You stole a car?"

"That's what they told me."

"Did you know there were drugs in the trunk?"

"I don't think so."

"Was Rosa already dead when you took the car?"

Spencer looked away from Fiona, struggling to recall. His memory danced in front of his eyes. "I'm not sure. She was stabbed. She was bleeding."

"Who stabbed her?"

"I don't know."

"Did you see who did it?"

"There was someone else in the room, but…"

"Man or woman?"

"I don't know, because I was drugged."

"How'd you get blood on your hands?"

"I don't know; it's all hazy."

"Yes, you do. You cut it. How'd you cut it?"

Spencer paused. His heart pounded in his ears. He licked his lips. His throat ached for a drink of water. "I-I cut it on a knife."

"The murder weapon?" Fiona interrogated.

Spencer closed his eyes. "I think so."

"How many times did you stab her?"

Spencer looked at her. "I didn't."

"Who did?"

"I don't know. The other person in the room stabbed her," Spencer clenched his fists. "I did not kill her. I think I was trying to stop whoever did. And I'm trying, believe me, to remember but I don't. And I keep pressing this cut" –Spencer raised his bandaged hand –"trying to trigger something, but I don't remember anything. And I swear to God, I'm telling the truth."

Fiona stared at him for a long second. "I believe you." She opened her briefcase as Spencer sagged with the release of the tension in his body. "If you remember anything, even if it seems inconsequential, call me." She handed him her business card.

"Thank you." Spencer croaked. "Thank you for believing me."

"Don't thank me. This isn't going to be easy."

"What happens now?" Spencer straightened.

"Well, you consented to a postponement of your arraignment so you'd have to find representation, now that you have me, that's what'll happen first. I'll get it calendared as soon as possible."

"And I'll plead not guilty." Spencer swallowed.

"And I'll move to have you released on bail pending trial." Fiona stood and Spencer followed suit. "After that, it'll be an uphill battle. The bad news is that they have a lot of circumstantial evidence against you."

Spencer's shoulders slumped. "Is there any good news?"

Fiona's face twisted. "The good news is that they don't have a murder weapon." She turned to leave.

"Fiona," Spencer called. She turned. He pressed his lips together. Heat brushed his neck. "Do you think there might be a way for me to visit with Victoria in here? Or… Have some sort of meeting where I'm not behind bars before the arraignment?" His eyes pricked.

Fiona softened. "I'll see what I can do."

…

Victoria poured creamer into her cup of coffee. She used a plastic spoon to stir it, drawing in deep breaths that stabbed her lungs. Her eyes burned. Emily entered the rec room.

"Hey, you good?" she asked.

Victoria glanced at her and forced herself to smile. "Yeah, I'm okay." Then she erupted in tears.

Emily set down the mug in her hands. "Oh, God." She pulled Victoria into a hug.

Victoria coughed out sobs onto Emily's shoulders, her body jerking with her cries. She gripped Emily as her knees sagged. "I can't stand to see him in there!"

Emily stroked Victoria's head. "Hey, it's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

"I do," said Emily, pulling back, "because I know this team. We won't stop until Reid is out of there."

Victoria's eyes ached. She turned away from Emily, her face crumpling. "But what if we can't? What if Scratch is too good? Emily, what if several months of marriage is all I get with him?"

Emily gaped. "No. Don't even think about that. Because you're going to have so much time with him, you won't even know what to do with it. This is just a delay. But you will get time with him. He's going to get out and the two of you are going to go on a long-ass vacation. And then you're going to have kids and they'll grow up and have kids and soon you'll be old and the two of you will have lived it all together. Don't lose sight of that dream, Victoria. Don't stop fighting for it. I know this sucks. I know this is hard for you. But you've got to be strong for him."

Victoria nodded, her cries subsiding. She wiped away her tears. Her eyes felt sore. Emily offered her some tissues. Victoria blew her nose. "Okay. Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't apologize. You're not alone in this. Fiona said she has news. Come with me." Emily replied.

Victoria nodded. She left her coffee on the counter and grabbed her jacket and purse. They left the bullpen in Emily's car. She sped to the jail. Victoria followed Emily inside, her heart pounding. Was this her life now?

She waited with Emily in the lobby while Fiona took a phone call. Fiona hung up after a few minutes. Fiona's face proved difficult to read. Her brow remained straight and her lips drawn. She held her head high. Emily exchanged a glance with Victoria and stepped forward, picking at her fingernails.

"That was the AUSA." said Fiona.

"Good news?" Emily asked, falling in step with Fiona. Victoria trailed behind, her heart quivering.

"They're offering us a deal."

Victoria held her breath for a moment and a tingle spread throughout her body. She straightened, following Fiona and Emily into a meeting room. They waited for a few minutes before Spencer entered. His eyes brightened when he met Victoria's gaze. She offered him a weak smile. He looked as if he wanted to stride toward her, but stopped himself when he saw Emily and Fiona.

"You have news?" he guessed.

"The AUSA is offering us a deal," said Fiona.

Spencer nodded. "Okay."

Victoria held her breath. Fiona looked between them and laced her fingers in front of her. "It would be for a lesser amount of time in incarceration, but you would have to plead guilty."

Victoria's heart shriveled and her stomach clenched. Her shoulders slumped. Spencer crossed his stomach with one arm. The other rested on that arm and his hand covered his mouth. He paced the small space with a furrowed brow. Victoria pressed her lips together while she tracked her husband's pacing.

"They want me to plead guilty?" he repeated.

"To involuntary manslaughter," said Fiona, clasping her hands behind her back. Spencer dropped the arm propping his chin. He folded his arms and stopped pacing. "The offer's two to five years."

Victoria's stomach churned. She pressed a hand to her abdomen. She choked on the air she breathed. Emily met her gaze. "We'll leave you two to discuss this."

Victoria received the hint and moved to leave. Spencer said quickly, "Wait, don't go. I want them to stay. They can hear anything you have to say to me."

Victoria stopped. She stood beside Emily, facing Spencer. Her arms ached to hold him. Spencer resumed his pacing. "Two to five years." Victoria muttered, shaking her head.

"That's a lot of time." Emily agreed.

"I understand," said Fiona, "but it's all about perspective. It's a lot more than nothing, but it's a lot less than twenty-five to life, which is what you'd be facing if convicted."

Spencer stopped pacing. "You think I should take it?" A scream bubbled within Victoria's chest. She swallowed, caging it within her ribcage.

Fiona sighed. "I think, given what's at stake, you owe it to yourself to carefully consider it."

Spencer blinked and lowered his gaze. "I don't think that I can lie and say that I did this. Is that foolish?" He looked to Emily and then Victoria.

"No. No, of course not. I don't want to see you plead guilty to a crime you didn't commit." Emily replied.

Victoria nodded slowly. "But know that I'll support you whatever you choose."

Spencer met her gaze. "Maybe I should cut my losses." The breath left Victoria's lungs as Spencer turned away to resume pacing. She hugged her stomach. Was he telling her to cut her losses? Had he already considered himself a lost cause?

"Well, the offer is so low, is that a good sign? Does the government think they've got a weak case?" Emily queried.

Victoria tilted her head. She looked at Fiona, her stomach trembling. Fiona nodded. "Possibly."

"That's good." Emily said.

"Well, not necessarily," said Fiona. Victoria's arms twitched, so she crossed them. _Goddammit, can this woman not deliver bad news for once?_ "It could also mean that they're just trying to clear the case with minimum publicity. I honestly don't know what it means. And I'm not in the business of second-guessing good offers, which this is. But I'm also not the one who will be doing the time."

Spencer stared at her. "What would you do in my shoes?"

Fiona drew in a deep breath. "I'm not in your shoes. It's a decision only you can make."

Spencer lowered his eyes from Fiona. He averted Victoria's gaze. Emily placed a hand on Victoria's elbow. "Whatever you decide, know that I'm always in your corner."

Victoria nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Spencer looked at her, his brow knitting. His eyes sparkled with tears. Victoria smiled bitterly. "We all are."

Spencer dipped his head. Fiona walked forward. "Spencer, if you want to fight this to the end, I promise you I will bring everything I have in my arsenal to the battle. But I can't promise you a better outcome than the one they're offering today."

Spencer nodded, his eyes unwavering from Fiona's. "I want to fight." He looked past Fiona at Victoria. Her lungs expanded and she straightened. The gleam in Spencer's eyes brought fire to her own. He would not bow to this, so neither would she.

Fiona turned to Victoria. "I'm working on getting the two of you a short conjugal visit. But for now, any time together has to be supervised."

Victoria met Spencer's gaze before looking at Fiona again. "Thank you."

"I need to get back to the BAU for a conference call with the team." said Emily, checking her watch.

"Yeah," Victoria nodded, "I was going to go check on Diana, too." She ran a hand through her hair.

Spencer reached for her, then stopped. His eyes flicked to the "Physical Contact with Prisoners Prohibited" sign. He dropped his hand. His eyes glowed. "Thank you."

The corners of Victoria's mouth twitched. "Of course."

Fiona and Emily moved toward the door to allow as much privacy as possible. Victoria edged closer to Spencer, but their bodies remained inches apart. She stared up at him. He gazed into her eyes, his tongue flitting out to touch his lips, which he parted. "Are you mad at me?"

Victoria shook her head. "I'm proud of you for fighting, actually. I know this is an impossible decision. And all I can tell you is that I support you. If I could take your place, I would."

Spencer jerked his head. "That's the last thing I want."

"I know," Victoria replied. She reached for him, remembered the rule and dropped her hand. Her chest constricted.

"Victoria," Emily called.

Victoria closed her eyes. She met Spencer's gaze. "I'll be back soon."

He nodded. Victoria turned away before she tried to hug him again. She glanced back at him. His soft eyes brought tears to her own.

…

"They found the knife?" Spencer queried, chills rippling through his skin. He stared up at Emily and Fiona from his seat. Victoria had yet to return from checking on Diana a few hours earlier. "Where?"

"In the desert," replied Fiona. "The theory is that you tossed it out the window of the stolen car during the chase. It must have been whoever was in the car you were chasing. But that car and its driver are in the wind. The blood and the prints on the knife are yours."

Spencer looked at his folded hands, his insides shuddering. "This is bad."

"There's more," said Fiona. "The blade of the knife is consistent with the blade that cut your hand."

Spencer shook his head and squeezed his wounded hand until it shook. He forced himself back into that Mexican motel room.

 _He couldn't see. Rosa's screams rang in his ears. The images around him flitted and blurred. His breath echoed in his ears. His heartbeat reverberated within his skull. Rolling toward Rosa's screams, he saw a figure. The figure jabbed their arm downward again and again. He crawled toward them. He smacked the knife out of the figure's hand and moved to grab it. He misjudged the location, his head spinning. Pain seared through his palm. He dropped the knife, hissing at the sharp pain._

"It means that two-to-five year deal you didn't want this morning is no longer an option," Fiona's voice pulled Spencer out of the memory. He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "The new offer's five-to-ten years."

"Oh, my God," Emily breathed.

Spencer looked at her, his chest clenching. His eyes flickered back to Fiona as she continued, "And it's an exploding offer. That means you have until the arraignment to take it. If you leave it, there won't be any more offers. You'll go to trial."

Spencer lowered his head. Emily asked, "And if he loses, he gets twenty-five to life?"

Fiona's sigh sufficed as an affirmative. "Do you remember anything about how you cut your hand?"

Spencer fiddled with his fingernails, said cut throbbing. "I'm trying, but I can't remember." He raised his head. "And I'm not taking the offer. I know what's at stake. I'm not taking it."

"May I have a moment alone with Spencer, please?" Emily muttered.

"Of course." said Fiona. She grabbed the case file on the table and left the room.

Spencer leaned back in his chair and watched Emily move toward the window peeking into the hall. "You think I should take it."

Emily folded her arms. "I… I can't tell you to make a decision."

Spencer pushed out of the chair and joined her by the window. He folded his arms and leaned against the glass. "But you want to tell me to take it. You think it's too risky to fight."

"Please, just think about it." Emily said. "Think about the evidence."

Spencer glanced out the window. "I know. Scratch dots his I's and crosses his t's. We know that."

"But a jury won't. A jury will only see what Scratch wants them to see."

Spencer swallowed and rubbed his temple. "You think they'll convict me?"

"I don't know," Emily replied. "But if they do… Five years. It's doable. You're young. You and Victoria could start a family. You could have a life."

Spencer's eyes burned. He looked away from her. God, he wanted nothing more. He could see it, blond and brown-haired babies laughing at a pancake breakfast, and Victoria covered in paint as she decorated a nursery… His heart cramped and he choked on the lump in his throat. What would he teach his children should he give into this? "Not as an FBI agent. I'd be a convicted felon."

"But you'd be free." Emily argued softly.

"The FBI is my home. It's where I belong." Spencer's voice wavered.

"You don't belong in prison," Emily persisted. Spencer sniffed and looked out the window, his eyes pricking. "And if you play Russian Roulette with this… Twenty-five years. That is a lifetime."

"If Scratch is framing me, then you guys will get him. I know you will." Spencer replied.

"Yes, we will. I promise you, we will never give up. And we will exonerate you. But what if we can't do that this week? Or this year? Or this decade?" Emily's voice broke. Spencer lowered his head. Tears blurred his vision. "Because I know we can't do it before your arraignment. And you no longer have yourself to think about. Victoria is affected by this, too."

Spencer closed his eyes. Tears slipped through his lashes and slid down his cheeks. His throat swelled. "What do I do?"

Emily pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling with tears. "I don't know. But I'm scared for you."

Spencer furrowed his brow and sniffed. "So am I."

Emily tugged him into an embrace, ignoring the rules. Spencer wrapped his arms around her, trembling with a soft sob.

…

Victoria packed up her things to leave the apartment. Cassie brought hers and Diana's to-go boxes to the trashcan. "Thank you for bringing us lunch."

Victoria slung her purse over her shoulder. "Of course. If you guys need anything else, let me know. I'm heading back to the bullpen."

Diana jerked out of her daze. "Victoria, when will Spencer be home?"

A sharp lump formed in the back of Victoria's throat. She tensed and her heart shivered. "I'm not sure. I'll let you know as soon as I can, okay?"

Diana nodded. She wrinkled her nose. "Can he call me?"

"I'll see what I can do." Victoria promised.

"Thank you, dear." Diana replied.

Victoria's lips parted and her eyes widened. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Victoria left the apartment, her heart pounding. _Dear_. Was Diana finally warming up to her? She slid into her car and drove to the BAU. When she entered the bullpen, it seemed strangely normal. The team's desks were vacant, which reiterated that they were on a case. Spencer's was empty, of course. But if Victoria imagined hard enough, she could almost believe that Spencer was just away on a case. Her limbs felt heavier than usual. She crossed the room and took a seat at her desk across from Spencer's. She gazed at his desk, her heart shrinking. Only a few framed pictures decorated Spencer's desk. Victoria reached for the biggest one. Tears welled in her eyes. Their wedding portrait glowed. Their smiles radiated and their eyes shined. They held each other like koalas wrap around trees. Light streamed in behind them, catching just behind Spencer's head, offering a near-celestial luminosity.

"Victoria?" Emily's voice startled her. She jumped and placed the portrait back on Spencer's desk.

"Yeah?" Victoria swiveled in her seat to face Emily, wiping away her tears.

Emily's brow slanted. "I have some bad news."

Victoria's breath snagged in her throat. "Go ahead."

"They found the knife," Emily murmured, sitting in JJ's empty seat. "Spencer's prints and blood are all over it. They changed the deal. It's now five to ten years."

"Oh my God," Victoria buried her face in her hands.

"Spencer doesn't want to take it. But he also doesn't know what to do." Emily paused. She leaned forward and took one of Victoria's hands. "He didn't want to take it at first. But I reminded him that he doesn't have just himself to think about anymore. If he…" Emily cleared her throat. Victoria met Emily's watery gaze. "If he goes to jail, then you're the one living alone and taking care of his mother."

Victoria's chest tightened, sending a sharp pain into her neck. She rubbed the spot and closed her eyes for a moment. "But I don't want him to say he did this. Emily, he doesn't deserve that. If there's even the slightest chance that he could get off, that we really could prove his innocence… Isn't that better than him serving time for a crime he didn't commit?"

"But what if we can't?" Emily retorted.

Victoria shuddered. "Oh, God." Her eyes ached as tears filled them anew. She collapsed and wept into her hands.

"Don't misunderstand me. Whatever he decides, I am in his corner. No matter what, we will work our asses off to prove his innocence. But I don't want to build false hope." Emily's voice broke.

Victoria nodded and pulled herself together. "I know. Thank you."

"Of course. There is some good news."

Victoria looked up sharply. "What?"

"Fiona was able to get you and Spencer a conjugal visit the day of the arraignment. You can see him in the morning." Emily's lips twitched as Victoria's shoulders sagged.

"That's the hardest part," she admitted. "Being so close to him, watching him suffer and not even being able to hug him."

"Well, you'll get to hug him all morning if you want." Emily smiled.

Victoria returned it weakly. "I shouldn't have to get special permission to hug my husband."

Emily's smile dimmed. Her shoulders slumped. "No, you shouldn't."

…

Spencer waited for Victoria to enter the room for their conjugal visit. His heart pounded. Today marked the first day of battle in a long war. When she entered the room, Spencer let out a tense breath. His muscles relaxed. They stared at each other for a moment. She wore a light grey skirt and a black blouse. She only wore skirts on special occasions, though Spencer would hardly deem this occasion special. Her lips twisted and she seemed to hold back tears as she walked toward him, her heels clacking against the floor. She straightened his tie.

"You look handsome." Her smile appeared more like a grimace.

Spencer sputtered a laugh. He placed his hands on her waist. "You look beautiful." He gazed at her as she shook her head. She really did look beautiful. She wore minimal makeup and her hair framed her face in loose curls. Darkness peeked through the makeup underneath her eyes. "You haven't been sleeping." he pointed out, brushing his fingertips along her cheekbone.

"Neither have you."

Spencer averted her gaze. His lips curved downward. "Promise me that you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

"Spence, there's nothing to promise. Nothing's happened yet. You're coming home on bail."

Spencer tightened his grip on her waist. "Listen to me. If… If I'm not released on bail, then take care of yourself, please."

Victoria closed her eyes and sighed. "Okay. And I'll take great care of your mother. I won't let you down."

Spencer's lips twitched and his eyes burned. "I know you won't," he muttered. He drew in a long, shuddering breath. His eyes flicked toward the ceiling as they prickled. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"I know," Victoria breathed. She rested her head on his chest and weaved her arms around his waist.

Spencer held her closer, wrapping his arms around her and spreading his hands across her back. "Emily told you they found the knife and what that means, right?"

"Yes."

Spencer's brow pinched. "What do I do?"

"I don't know," Victoria breathed. She drew back to look at him. "Is it wrong of me to want you to fight this?"

Spencer released the tension in his shoulders. "No."

"Because I don't want you to lie down and take this. You didn't kill her, and I don't want to see you go to prison for that. But I'm not the one doing time for this."

"But you'll be alone."

"I know," Victoria murmured, "but I can handle that. What do you think you can handle?"

"I don't know," Spencer's voice lowered to whimper. "I don't think I can handle going to prison for something I didn't do."

"Good," Victoria breathed. She drew back to look at him, her eyes blazing. "You're not alone. I am with you, Spencer. I will fight this with you. If you want to plead guilty and take the deal, then I will support you. If you want to fight, then I'm ready to fight. Just know that I love you and no matter what, I'm proud of you."

Spencer's knees buckled. Tears welled in his eyes. He juddered with a soft sob and buried his face in the crook of her neck. "I love you so much."

Victoria squeezed him tighter and cradled his head with one of her hands. "I love you so much, too."

He breathed in her scent, feeling her quiver in his arms. He stroked her hair. "You'll be okay. You're one of the strongest people I know."

Victoria blubbered a laugh. "Shouldn't I be the one telling you this?"

Spencer pulled back from her. "I know you're worried about taking care of my mom by yourself."

"I won't be. You'll get out of here."

Spencer's heart shrank. "Victoria, you don't know that I'll get out on bail."

"But you're damning yourself from the start." Red rimmed Victoria's eyes.

Spencer cupped her face. "I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is that I love you, and whatever happens, you and my mom will be okay. I know you'll take care of her if the worst happens. If I get out, I swear to you, I will make this up to you."

Victoria's eyes squeezed shut. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. "I love you, too." She buried her face into his shirt. Spencer rested his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes. "Are you scared?" Victoria whispered.

Spencer opened his eyes. His eyebrows raised slightly. "I'm terrified."

Victoria held him tighter. "Me, too."

…

Victoria waited in the hall with Emily. While Emily paced, Victoria folded her arms and leaned against the wall. She heard footsteps and glanced down the hall. Rossi walked in, leading the rest of the team. Emily walked forward to greet them.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it in time for the arraignment." she said.

"Has the kid decided about a plea yet?" Rossi asked, his eyes flicking to Victoria.

"I don't know. I'm not sure he does." said Emily.

Victoria stiffened. He wanted to fight, but the thought of leaving her alone gave him pause. She kept her mouth shut. She knew her husband well, but his instinct to protect his family and his capacity for honesty were at war. All she could do was stand by and be his cheerleader.

"I can't stand the thought of him being in prison." Penelope said.

"But five years is a lot less that twenty-five." Emily reminded her.

"He must be agonizing over this decision." JJ muttered, shaking her head.

"Well, whatever he decides, he has our full support." Tara added.

"He knows that," said Victoria. "It means the world to him."

"Oh God, V," said Penelope, pulling Victoria into a hug. "You must be agonizing over this, too."

Victoria forced herself to smile bitterly. "What I feel about this doesn't matter. All that matters is him."

"We have to prove that Scratch did this." said Luke.

Stephen glanced at Luke. "We'll get him."

A door opened down the hall. "They're calling his case." called Fiona.

Victoria's heart pounded. She walked forward. Emily took her hand. Victoria steadied her breathing and they crossed the threshold into the courtroom.

…

"Case number 149-CR 0308, U.S. versus Reid." The announcer's words struck Spencer's chest until it panged. He inhaled as a metallic taste flooded his mouth. He looked toward the judge, Willa Frost. His heart pounded. He felt it in his fingertips, his ears and his throat.

"Ms. Duncan, your client is an FBI agent, correct?" said Judge Frost.

Fiona stood. "That's right, your honor."

Judge Frost dipped her head. Her eyes flicked to Spencer and her gaze hardened into a glare. Spencer took the hint and jumped up from his seat. He straightened his jacket. Judge Frost laced her fingers as she regarded Spencer. "You're charged with murder, which is a very serious matter."

Spencer dipped his head. "Yes, your honor."

Judge Frost looked to Fiona. "All right, Ms. Duncan, does your client wish to enter his plea at this time?"

"Yes, he does."

Judge Frost turned her attention to Spencer. "And how do you plead, Agent Reid?"

"Not guilty." Spencer answered firmly.

"Thank God." Penelope breathed behind him.

"And as to bail?" Judge Frost asked.

The prosecutor stood. "The people oppose bail and request remand, your honor."

"Your honor, my client presents no risk of flight." Spencer sat down as Fiona remained standing.

"That's ridiculous. The defendant was arrested after fleeing the murder scene in Mexico."

"Those were extenuating circumstances. He'd been drugged against his will." Fiona argued.

Spencer parted his lips and laced his fingers on the table in front of him. The prosecutor scoffed. "By failing to notify the FBI of his international travel, the defendant violated the bureau protocol."

"My client presents no flight risk," repeated Fiona. Spencer looked over his shoulder at his team, his heart hammering. He met Victoria's gaze for a moment. Her eyes softened and her lips parted as Fiona said, "He has deep ties to this community." He turned back to face the front, feeling Judge Frost's eyes on his back. He looked up at Fiona. "His mother suffers from Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia and lives with and his wife. They are solely responsible for her well-being. Additionally, he's been a decorated SSA with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit for over a decade."

"And as an FBI agent, he has contacts all over the world." argued the prosecutor.

"Agent Reid would be willing to turn over both his personal and government issued passports."

"If he wanted a counterfeit passport, he could easily get one." said the prosecutor.

"He has no criminal history." insisted Fiona.

"The defendant is uniquely situated to evade law enforcement should he flee the jurisdiction."

"Your honor, he wants to stay here and clear his good name."

"He should have thought about his good name before sneaking across the border." snapped the prosecutor.

Nausea trickled down Spencer's throat and churned in his stomach. Fiona continued, "I'm prepared to present multiple law enforcement character witnesses on his behalf right now." Fiona gestured to Spencer's team despite Judge Frost's shaking head. "The witnesses are here in the courtroom, all highly decorated FBI agents."

"Simmer down, Ms. Duncan," said Judge Frost. "It's almost six o'clock and I'm not inclined to hear character witnesses, especially when one of those witnesses is his own wife. Actions speak louder than words, I always say."

"We'd be willing to abide by a curfew and strict monitoring of his whereabouts at all times." Fiona tried.

Judge Frost shook her head. "Too little too late, counselor. If past behavior is the best indicator of future conduct, and I do believe it is, then your client presents a flight risk." Judge Frost glanced toward the prosecutor. Spencer held his breath, though he knew what was coming. "Bail is denied." Spencer's heart plummeted and his face fell with it. He glanced back at Victoria, whose fingers touched her parted lips. Her face drained of color as Judge Frost continued, "The defendant will be remanded to federal custody pending trial." Judge Frost banged the gavel.

Spencer looked back at his team again. They all wore similar expressions of dropped jaws and wide eyes. Penelope looked on the verge of tears. Emily jumped to her feet. "How long before he goes to trial?"

"It's a complicated case. Three months." said Fiona.

Spencer struggled to breathe. A court official prodded him. "Sir."

Spencer obeyed the prompt, his heart jumping to his throat and choking his airway. The court official cuffed Spencer's hands behind his back. His heart slammed against the bones of his chest. He looked at Victoria again to keep from suffocating. His wife covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide.

Spencer looked to Luke and JJ. "Take care of my family." he ordered. They nodded. Spencer looked at Victoria. "I love you."

She seemed too frozen to move. Two security guards led him away. Nausea jumped from his stomach to his throat and back again. "N-no!" Victoria's whimper caused him to look back at her. She moved forward, but Emily held her back. Tears sparkled in her eyes. Spencer tried to tell her with his eyes not to worry, that he'd be okay, but he knew it was a lie. And he had lied to his wife enough.

 **...**

 **Well. Not gonna lie, this angst stuff is hard to write. I kind of feel like "Bad Dream" by Ruelle is Spencer and Victoria's anthem for Season 12. You guys should give it a listen, especially if you're a masochist like me and love the painful feels it brings. The reviews I got for last chapter seriously brought me so much joy. Like I read them a million times, so thank you. It helped especially since in my creative writing course, one of my short stories I've written got dragged through the mud. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	61. Chapter 61

**_Alpha Male_**

Victoria stepped inside the apartment, her heart weighed down to her stomach. She closed the door. Cassie stood from the couch.

"How did it go? Diana's taking a nap."

Victoria sighed. "He won't be home anytime soon. I appreciate your help."

Cassie nodded and squeezed Victoria's arm. "You sure you'll be okay here?"

"Yes ma'am," Victoria forced herself to smile. Cassie returned it, her eyes soft and her brow slanted.

"I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early." she said.

"Thank you." Victoria moved aside. Cassie left the apartment and Victoria locked the door behind the nurse. Victoria's hand remained on the deadbolt long after Cassie's footsteps had faded. Her face crumpled and her body wracked with a sob. She hung her head between her shoulders as hot tears flowed down her cheeks. Her knees sagged and she sank to the floor. She drew in a long breath that cracked with whimpers and leaned against the door. Pulling her knees to her chest, she failed to hear a door open.

"Victoria?" Diana asked, her voice thick with sleep. Victoria shuddered with another sob. She struggled to stop her cries but only succeeded in hyperventilating. Diana sat on the floor and wrapped her arms around Victoria. "Oh, honey. What's wrong?"

Victoria sniffled, her sobs subsiding into pathetic whimpers. "Umm…" She wiped her eyes, which felt sensitive under her fingers. "Spencer isn't going to be home for a while."

Diana stiffened. "Well, why not?"

Victoria swallowed. "He's, um…" She looked at Diana, whose eyebrows furrowed and eyes sparkled with unshed tears. The older woman bit her lip, waiting for Victoria to deliver horrible news. Victoria's heart sank. She couldn't tell Diana the truth. Victoria lacked the emotional strength to support Diana's distress as well as her own. "He's on a special assignment for the bureau."

"That's good, isn't it?" Diana demanded.

"Yeah," Victoria's voice cracked. "I-It's a great opportunity for him."

Diana scowled. "Then why are you so upset? Is it dangerous?"

Victoria cleared her throat. "It can be," she allowed, "but I'm just going to miss him."

Diana softened. "You really love him, don't you?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. I do."

Diana leaned back, resting her head against the door. "I feel I should apologize. I know I haven't been too welcoming in my moments of clarity. I can only imagine how hostile I've been during an episode."

Victoria raised her eyebrows. She knew Diana couldn't remember all of the times she was hostile toward Victoria, but it seemed her dislike for Victoria had been greater than Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. "Well…"

Diana smiled. "He's my baby boy. You'll understand one day when you have your own. I just want to protect him."

"So do I," Victoria murmured. "I'd do anything for him."

Diana grasped Victoria's hand. "I see that. Can you forgive me?"

Victoria looked at her mother-in-law, her last connection to Spencer in a world without bars. "Of course."

…

Spencer gazed out the prison bus window. Through the metal slates, he glimpsed the barbed fence surrounding the prison yard. Numbness hollowed out his chest. His shoulders slumped. He wondered when he would see Victoria and his mother again. _Will I ever go home? Or is this my life now?_

The man sitting in front of him whimpered under his breath. "No, I don't wanna go in. Please, please don't make me go in. I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go. Please don't make me go." He started banging his head against the window.

Another prisoner yelled, "Hey, man, shut up!"

Spencer's brow puckered. He leaned forward. "You're gonna give yourself a concussion if you keep doing that."

The man stopped hitting his head against the window, though his cries continued. "Well, it beats what they'll do to me inside." Spencer's chest tightened. His insides shivered. "I'm Luis."

Spencer cleared his throat. "I'm Spencer."

"What are you in for?"

"I'm innocent."

"Yeah," muttered Luis, "me too."

Spencer's mouth dried. He couldn't really tell if Luis was mocking him or not. The prison bus door opened and an officer stepped in. "Okay, ladies, listen up. You will exit this bus in a neat and orderly fashion. You will speak only when spoken to. And you will do everything that you are told. Follow these simple rules, and we'll get along just fine."

Spencer's eyes roved over the rifle in the officer's hands. He swallowed. He could follow rules. His eyes fluttered shut. Victoria's tear-filled eyes flashed in his mind's eye. He heard her whimper as the court officials led him out of the courtroom. He saw her drop to her knees. He opened his eyes. He waited for his turn to get up and off the prison bus. He fell in line with the other prisoners. The orange of the jumpsuits stabbed at his eyes. The officer from the bus stood before him, holding a clipboard instead of a rifle. Spencer read the nametag on the officer's uniform: Tidwell.

Tidwell narrowed his eyes at the clipboard. "Torres," he announced. An inmate stepped forward. "Driskill." Another prisoner stepped forward. "Reid." Spencer stepped forward. "Line up over there." Tidwell jerked his head to one side. Spencer moved to obey.

"Hold up," called another officer. Spencer stopped, his heart tripping. He glanced at the officer who'd spoken. The officer examined the information on the clipboard. He indicated to Torres and Driskill. "You, you, go. You," the officer pointed at Spencer, "back in line."

Spencer frowned and parted his lips, but the officer moved along. He watched the officer go, his heart racing. Tidwell stepped forward. The rifle was back in his hands. "Something wrong with your hearing?"

Spencer shook his head. "No, I –"

"Back in line!" roared Tidwell. Spencer flinched but obeyed. "Gate!"

The prison gate opened. Spencer fell in line with his fellow inmates. Together, they shuffled toward the prison.

…

Victoria entered the bullpen. She felt rather unkempt in her flannel and jeans, but couldn't find it in herself to care much. She had pulled her hair into a low ponytail and wore very little makeup. She'd treated herself to coffee on the way to work, since the cup at the apartment hadn't woken her up enough.

Luke, Tara, JJ and Stephen gathered around Spencer's empty desk. They sounded as if they were arguing.

"Did you see the look on his face when they led him out of the courtroom?" JJ said.

"What are we gonna do?" Luke asked. They fell silent as Victoria approached.

She scowled and massaged the sudden stiffness in her neck. "You guys don't have to stop talking just because I'm here."

"I'm sorry," said Luke.

"How are you?" JJ asked.

Victoria shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"We've gotta do something." Luke muttered.

"Oh, newbie, newbie," said Penelope, walking toward them, carrying a poster board. "I'm gonna tell you what we're gonna do. We're going to send him letters every day. We're gonna put money into his commissary account. We are going to send him puzzles, books, magazines, whatever we can think of to make sure those gorgeous gears inside that boy wonder brain are lubed up and in perfect working order to keep us on track. I took the liberty of making a chart."

She held up her poster board. Victoria managed a small smile. Tara beamed. "Good idea, Penelope."

"Yes, I couldn't agree more. Also, if you've noticed, there is a visitation schedule." Penelope pointed.

Victoria's name was on top, followed by Penelope's and then Emily's. Luke snorted. "Why do you get to see Reid first?"

"After Victoria," said Penelope, "and because I made the chart. And if anyone has a problem with that, tough noogies." Luke held up his palms in surrender. Victoria's smile stretched a bit further.

Emily and David approached, sharing looks of bemusement. "What's all this?"

"Uh, well, Miss Penelope here is keeping track of our correspondence and visits with Spence." JJ replied.

"Very colorful, Penelope." David said, eyeing the chart.

"Thank you, sir. Oh! And that reminds me," Penelope set the chart down. "I'm sending the first batch of letters to Reid in jail today. I'm going to need you to pen your upbeat, articulate missives and give them to me no later than three p.m., sharp."

Victoria failed to miss the look exchanged between Emily and David. "I'm afraid you're going to need a new mailing address." David muttered, averting Victoria's gaze.

"Why?" Victoria growled.

"Early this morning, Reid was moved from the police precinct to the Millburn Correctional Facility." Emily answered, meeting Victoria's glare.

Victoria's chest seized. Her breath hissed out of her lungs like a popped balloon. She gripped the back of a chair.

JJ gasped. "He's in _prison_?"

"How is that possible?" Penelope breathed. "There hasn't even been a trial."

"You can blame overcrowding at the D.C. jail." said David.

"Why wasn't I told sooner?" Victoria managed.

Emily pressed her lips together. "We didn't even know until an hour ago. I wanted to tell you in person." Victoria nodded, but her eyes burned. She attempted to steady her breathing. Penelope rested a hand on Victoria's shoulder. Emily turned to the rest of the team. "I know this isn't great news, but his lawyer is doing everything she can, and she promised to give us updates. Right now, all we can do is put our faith in the justice system and follow Garcia's chart and work the case we just got."

"Oh, yeah. The case. Oh boy. I'll go get the files." Penelope squeezed Victoria's shoulder and hurried to her office.

The team dispersed. Emily pulled Victoria aside. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Let Fiona know that I want to be part of the loop. I want to know as soon as she has any information. Please." Victoria replied coolly.

Emily nodded. "I will. Another thing," she said, catching Victoria before she moved on, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go in the field."

Victoria's heart shriveled. "Emily, I can't stay here. I'm suffocating."

Emily's brow puckered. "I don't think you're stable enough to go into the field."

Victoria's shoulders slumped. "What will I do here?"

"You can work in Garcia's office. You can work the next case. But you just had an anxiety attack. I saw you. I don't think you're ready for the field." Emily replied.

Victoria rubbed her face. "Fine."

Emily squeezed Victoria's arm. "Are you sure you don't want to take a few days?"

"I'm sure," Victoria replied. "I… I'd rather be here than go home."

Emily nodded. "Okay. Let's go work this case."

…

Spencer frowned as he approached his cot. The box of his prison-issued belongings was empty. He ducked down to check the floor and underneath the box. His frown deepened and he straightened. He turned to the nearest inmate. "Excuse me, did you see what happened to my things? They were—" Spencer's shoulders slumped when the inmate rolled over in his cot. Spencer pursed his lips and glanced around. He spotted his belongings and his heart clenched. The hairs on his arms stood on end. Drawing in a deep breath, Spencer approached the large men huddled together.

"Hi, um, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding, but I believe those are mine." Spencer indicated to his belongings.

"No." muttered the dark-haired man.

"I'm pretty certain they are." Spencer replied, undeterred by another inmate's laughter.

The dark-haired man lifted his head. "You callin' me a liar?"

The beefy inmate to Spencer's left chuckled. "Here we go."

Spencer curled his fingers into his palms to still their trembling. "I'm not –I'm not saying that, but those are my things. How they got here, I don't know, but I'm gonna take them back now." Spencer lowered his gaze as the dark-haired man stood up. Spencer pressed his lips together. His heart quivered as he shuffled in between the bearded man and the dark-haired man. He grabbed the box of his things and shuffled back in between the two men.

The third man chuckled. "Oh, damn!"

Spencer turned his back to them and walked toward his cot. A strong hand grabbed Spencer's arm and wheeled him around. He widened his eyes as the dark-haired man raised a fist to pummel Spencer's face.

"Hey, break it up!" yelled the prison guard. He jumped in between Spencer and the dark-haired man. "Get lost, inmate."

Spencer took a moment to catch his breath as the dark-haired man returned to his gang. Spencer recognized the prison guard as the one who put him back in line earlier. The guard, Officer Wilkins, faced Spencer. "Am I going to have to write you up?"

"That inmate stole my things." Spencer replied.

"Guess that'll teach you to keep track of your stuff next time." spat Wilkins.

Spencer shifted. "Well, aren't you going to do something about it?"

"I just did. I saved your ass. Now, step back inmate. Or I'll let everyone in here know who and what you are." Wilkins snapped.

Spencer's heart stuttered. He nodded and stepped aside to let Officer Wilkins pass. He avoided looking at the gang in the corner.

…

"Happy to help, my loves!" Penelope chirped. She hung up on the team and swiveled in her seat to face Victoria. "And you, my lovely, how are you?"

Victoria managed a small smile. "About as you'd expect."

Penelope pouted. "I can't even imagine. I mean, it's hard for me while he's in there, I know for you it must be, like, ten times worse."

"Yeah, I haven't really slept since Mexico."

"The stress must be killing you."

Victoria lowered her gaze. "Mainly I feel…" She frowned. What _did_ she feel? Her eyes flicked back to Penelope's. "I don't know. There's not really a ruling emotion."

"Well, we all have mixed feelings about it. I mean, I was of course worried but also mad at him for not telling us, and until I realized you knew nothing, I was mad at you for saying nothing about it." Penelope admitted.

Victoria's lips twitched. "I was mad at him, too. Part of me still is. And then another part of me is guilty for being mad at him."

"Honey, your feelings are totally valid. You have every right to be mad, I mean, he lied to you. And he's your husband, which means he should've told you. But I understand that you feel guilty because obviously he didn't mean for any of this to happen. And I know he's really sorry for what he did." Penelope replied.

"Yeah, I know." Victoria hugged herself and her chest constricted sharply. "Can we talk about something else?"

Penelope widened her eyes. "Oh, yeah. Of course, boo. Got any plans this weekend?"

Victoria wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if I'm the best company right now."

Penelope scowled. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Don't do your weird withdraw thingy. I know you're upset about Reid, but you can't shut us out. And you know he wouldn't want you to." Penelope's eyes sparkled.

Victoria bowed her head. "I know."

"So, you got any plans this weekend?"

"No." Victoria lifted her head, her lips quirking.

"Well, now you do. A new tea shop opened in town that we could go check out." Penelope beamed.

Victoria nodded. "That sounds pretty cool."

"Great! It's a date!" Penelope grinned.

Victoria tried to return it, but it felt forced. She longed for her husband and to land a nice punch in Scratch's face.

…

Spencer's heartbeat fluttered so erratically, he felt it in his throat. His clasped his clammy hands together, but he looked around the room and checked the clock every few seconds. He swallowed several times, but the lump in his throat remained. Officer Wilkins entered the room.

"All right, settle down." he called.

Spencer met Wilkins's gaze. Wilkins ignored Spencer and scanned the room. Spencer peered over his shoulder at Milos's gang. The redhead, Little T, smirked. Spencer's heart lurched. Milos and his gang would pulverize Spencer. He stood as Wilkins turned and left the room. The doors clanged shut before Spencer could even open his mouth and call for help. The lights clicked off.

"Lock down!" yelled a guard. Spencer stiffened, listening to various buzzing sounds as different doors locked.

Spencer trembled, watching Little T and Dwayne gather in front of him. He stumbled back and then turned. He froze when Hicks leveled a knife in Spencer's face. Hicks grinned. "It's party time."

Spencer's heart raced. Before he could react, Dwayne and Little T grabbed his hands and tied them with sheet behind his back. "Help! Help!" Spencer yelled. Hicks shoved a gag into Spencer's mouth. Spencer choked on the musty taste of worn socks. Spencer screamed as he was dragged toward the bathrooms. He struggled against his restraints until his wrists hurt. His head pounded in tandem with his wild heartbeat. He was going to die.

He was brought before Milos, who calmly took the shank from Hicks and pointed it at Spencer. "So you're too good to be with us? We offer you friendship, and what do you do? Spit in our faces."

"He thinks he can survive in here without our help." Hicks snickered.

Spencer maintained his composure. _Sociopaths get off on fear. Don't show them fear, it's what they want._ Milos snatched the gag out of Spencer's mouth. He gasped as cool, fresh air washed over his tongue. He could feel his heartbeat in his fingertips. Milos brought the tip of the shank close to Spencer's eye, who stared at it. "You, you need to show some respect." Milos growled.

"Do it." Hicks encouraged.

"Yeah!" Little T hissed.

Spencer closed his eyes and tried to picture Victoria's face. Her wide smile, her plump lips, her shining eyes… The way she grinned cheekily with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. The pull of her lips over her teeth as she put on mascara… The way her hair caught the sun and how in autumn it had a strawberry tint to it…

"Back off." said a new voice.

Spencer's eyes flew open. He did not dare to glance at the newcomer. Milos's lips peeled back in a snarl. "Stay out of this." he growled.

"Back off. Now." said the newcomer. Milos stared over Spencer's shoulder before withdrawing. Spencer looked back. A dark-skinned man stared down the others in Milos's gang. "Untie him."

Spencer felt the ties around his wrists loosen and then he was free. He glanced at Milos and his gang before looking back at the newcomer. "Go on, get out of here. Take off." Spencer needed no further instruction. He slipped past Dwayne and stopped before the newcomer, who jerked his head. Spencer obeyed and returned to the sleeping area.

…

 _"_ _How does the jury find the defendant?" Judge Frost peered over her spectacles at the jury._

 _Victoria bit her lip and looked toward the jury. The spokesman stood. "We find the defendant guilty, your honor."_

 _"_ _Spencer Reid, you have been found guilty and are sentenced to twenty-five to life in prison." Frost banged the gavel._

 _Victoria stood. Spencer looked at her, his eyes wide. Victoria dropped to her knees and sobbed._

Victoria jerked awake. She frowned. It took her a moment to realize that she was still at the BAU, lying on a couch in Emily's office. She pushed herself up, her spine cracking with the movement. Rubbing her temples, she stood and padded toward Garcia's office.

"Oh good, you're awake!" chirped Garcia. "You want coffee or tea?"

"Uh, coffee," Victoria croaked. "What time is it?"

"Ten-seventeen."

Victoria's eyes widened. "The case! I don't even remember falling asleep!"

"It's okay," Garcia assured her, "they got the guy. You went into Emily's office to go over the case files but you fell asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake you. They're on their way back now."

Victoria sank into a chair. "I guess I was really tired."

"Yeah," Garcia simpered. "Hey! You know what, I'm sure they're gonna be hungry when they get back. Come with me to pick up donuts."

"Okay," Victoria agreed. "You got any gum? My breath is horrible."

"Yeah, sure," said Garcia, sifting through her purse as she stood. She handed Victoria a stick of gum, who unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. They walked out of the bullpen together. "You okay? You look like you're hungover."

"Just tired." Victoria tied her hair up. She rolled her head in circles to ease the tension in her neck. Sleeping on Emily's office couch had been a bad idea.

They walked to Penelope's car in the cool morning. Victoria squinted against the grey light. She slid into the passenger side, her head thumping. Penelope turned on the radio. Victoria felt a twinge in her stomach. She hated being bad company. They arrived at the nearest donut shop. Penelope and Victoria picked out a dozen chocolate and a dozen glazed. While Penelope paid, Victoria's phone rang. She stepped out of the shop.

"Hello?"

"Victoria, this is Fiona." Victoria recognized the husky voice of Spencer's attorney before she introduced herself.

"Hey, Fiona. Is there any news?"

"Not regarding the trial, but I do have some news regarding visitation. I got you an early visitation appointment for tomorrow morning. Would you like to see him?" Fiona said.

Victoria's breath hitched. "Of course."

"Great. Just a warning, you will be around other prisoners, so don't wear anything provocative."

"Of course."

"Be there at eight a.m. to go through security. You'll see him at eight-fifteen."

"Great. Thank you so much, Fiona."

"Of course. I'll let you know if anything else comes up, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you." Victoria hung up. She blew out a terse breath.

"Everything okay?" Penelope asked. Victoria turned. She took the boxes of donuts from Penelope.

"Yeah," Victoria breathed. "I can see Spencer tomorrow morning."

"Really? That's great!" Penelope chirped, searching her purse for her keys.

"Yeah," Victoria agreed half-heartedly. "Except what if it's not?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Penelope queried. Victoria got into the car and waited for Penelope to get settled and start the engine before answering.

"I don't know," Victoria sighed, "I just don't know if I can stand to see him like that. And I know he's embarrassed."

"But you guys miss each other. And love each other. You wouldn't want to not see him." Penelope replied.

"I know." Victoria leaned her head back. "I'm sorry, Pen. I know I'm miserable to be around right now."

"Don't say that. You're adjusting to one of the worst things that could happen to you. You're handling it the best way you can." Penelope replied.

"Thank you. It means a lot to have your support."

"You'll always have it, love." Penelope beamed. Victoria's lips twitched.

…

Spencer rounded the corner and hurried to his seat, where Victoria waited behind a screen of glass. Her eyes brightened when she saw him. Spencer felt the breath hiss out of his lungs. Victoria jumped up to hug him.

"No touching!" yelled Wilkins. Victoria flinched back. She scowled at the guard as she took her seat, Spencer following suit.

"What's his problem?" she muttered.

Spencer pressed his lips together. He glanced toward Wilkins before looking at her, his heart twisting. "You shouldn't be here."

Victoria frowned. "Why not?"

Spencer glanced around at his fellow inmates. "I don't want them looking at you."

"Well, I don't care. If you tell me not to visit you, I swear… Victoria trailed off, her threat falling empty. The corners of Spencer's mouth twitched. His wife sighed. "How are you holding up?"

"I-I'm okay," Spencer lied, "I miss you."

Victoria grimaced. "I miss you, too. So much." Her voice broke.

Spencer's face crumpled. He sniffled and glanced toward the ceiling before meeting Victoria's gaze. "I'm so sorry."

Victoria shook her head. "Spencer, don't. It's… You didn't mean for this to happen. You should've been honest with me and you should've followed the rules, but you never intended for this."

Spencer's eyes pricked. "I don't deserve you."

"Spencer, stop. Please." Victoria ran a hand through her hair. It seemed duller in the harsh electric light.

He nodded. "How's my mom?"

"She's okay. Good and bad days, but that's normal." Victoria seemed relieved to change subjects.

"Where'd you tell her I was?" Spencer asked.

Victoria bit her lip. "I told her you were on a special assignment. I… I told her it was dangerous, because she knew I was upset… And I couldn't tell a blatant lie and say you were safe and happy."

"That's okay," Spencer forced himself to smile. "I'm just glad she has you."

"I think she's forgotten, because she keeps asking. I just tell her you're on a case." Victoria sounded exhausted.

Spencer felt as if he had inhaled shards of glass. His stomach squirmed with self-loathing. How could he put her through this? What kind of husband was he, insisting his mother live with them? How could he have lied to his wife and fallen right into Scratch's trap? How could he dump all of this on Victoria's shoulders? His throat swelled with a sharp lump. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I'm so sorry I'm putting you through this."

Victoria pressed her left hand to the glass. Her engagement and wedding rings sparkled in the light. "Spencer, listen to me. I'm okay."

Spencer shook his head as tears swam in his eyes. "I shouldn't have placed the responsibility of my mom on your shoulders. We should've talked about it more. I should've listened to you. Now you're carrying this without me, and you're alone, and I… I am so sorry."

Victoria frowned. "Spencer, if I couldn't handle it, I would do something about it. I don't want you to worry about me. I just want you to worry about surviving in here. Why aren't you in protective custody?"

Spencer glanced over his shoulder toward the guard. "I don't know. That guard put me here. I don't know if he did on purpose or not, but… He definitely doesn't like me."

Victoria's brow furrowed. "Should I do something? I'll talk to Fiona."

"I feel like that'll make it worse."

Victoria's lips twisted. "Spencer, please, keep your head down. If you get hurt in here…"

Spencer licked his chapped lips. "I'll do my best."

"You're not telling me something."

Spencer looked around before leaning forward. "A couple of inmates tried to hurt me. I'm okay," he added when Victoria drew back, her eyes flaring with that blue fire he loved, "another inmate stopped it. He's been helping me a lot. He got me a job in laundry and uses his library privileges to get me books."

"That's awfully nice," Victoria said, though a frown darkened her eyes.

Spencer pursed his lips. "You think something's wrong?"

"I think you need to be careful with who you trust in here, okay?" Victoria replied.

Spencer nodded. "I'll keep it in mind."

"Another thing," Victoria huffed, "Derek called. I didn't tell him where you were…"

"Don't. I-I don't want him to know." Spencer replied.

Victoria nodded. "I figured."

Spencer glanced toward the clock. His chest constricted. They only had thirty minutes left. He cleared his throat. "Victoria, I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Victoria straightened.

"We've gotten a taste what life is like with me in prison," Spencer lowered his gaze to avoid Victoria's, "and it's difficult for both of us. If I'm convicted, it won't get easier."

"Yeah, but you won't be convicted. You're innocent." Victoria retorted.

Spencer looked toward the ceiling. "I'm not even going to tell you the statistics of innocent people in prison."

"It doesn't matter. You told me once that you and I weren't going to be a statistic. We're the outliers, remember?" Victoria's lip trembled.

Spencer averted her gaze and rubbed his face. "Victoria, please. This is hard enough for me to say."

"What are you trying to say?"

Spencer looked at her. "If I…" He stopped and swallowed. "We could prove my innocence, we could not. I-I don't want this life for you. If I'm convicted, I want… I want you to divorce me." Victoria stared at him. Spencer's heart ripped. Victoria blinked slowly and the apple of her throat bobbed. She swayed. Spencer frowned. "Victoria?"

Victoria inhaled deeply. She shook her head, the glaze in her eyes clearing as she blinked. "No. No way."

Spencer's shoulders sagged. "Victoria, I don't want to tie you to me. Not like this. You deserve a chance to move on. I want you to be happy. I can't ask you to remain married to me if I'm convicted. I won't ask you to do that."

"Stop deciding for me! You didn't give me much of a choice when you brought your mother home. You didn't shit about what you've been doing, going to Mexico for her!" Victoria hissed. Her eyes flared.

"I didn't want you to worry." Spencer mumbled.

"No, you just didn't want me to tell you that you were making a mistake!"

Spencer flinched. She was right. "I'm sorry."

"Do _you_ want a divorce, Spencer?" Victoria's voice wavered.

Spencer's eyes snapped to hers. "Why would you ask me that? You think I want any of this?"

"No," said Victoria, "but this is the second time you've tried to end us."

Spencer frowned. "What do you mean?"

"When you found out your mother had Alzheimer's, and you ended things between us after the Cat Adams case!" Victoria snapped. Spencer parted his lips, but Victoria cut him off. "And now you're suggesting divorce. Is that what you want? Do you regret marrying me?"

"No! Of course not!" Spencer barked. Victoria shrank back slightly. Spencer rubbed his eyes. "Victoria, I _love_ you. I've only tried to end things between us because I love you."

"That makes no sense." Victoria pouted, though Spencer sensed the worst of her anger had fizzled.

Spencer leaned forward. "Do you really want to be married to a convicted felon?"

"If it's you, then yes!" Victoria insisted.

Spencer gazed at her, tears pooling in his eyes. "I love you too much to let that happen."

"And I don't buy that bullshit of saving me from this. It's my choice, not yours. At the very least, we're supposed to decide together." Victoria snapped.

Spencer sighed. "I'm not asking you to divorce me now. I just meant if I'm convicted. I don't want a divorce. I just don't want you this life for you, if I'm convicted."

Victoria's eyes shined with tears. "I wouldn't cut you out of my life, even if we did divorce. I'd still visit you. I'd still care for your mother. I'd still love you."

Spencer squeezed his eyes shut and tears splashed down his cheeks. "I know. I wouldn't stop loving you, either. You deserve a husband who'll be there for you."

"I have one," Victoria replied.

"Time's up!" roared Wilkins.

Spencer's breath choked him. He stood. Victoria gazed up at him. "You'll get out of here. For better or worse, remember?"

Spencer nodded. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Spencer turned away from his wife, his heart constricting as he returned to a world of bars.

 **…**

 **Sorry this is so late, guys! I got married and had midterm exams right after that, so I've been really busy! Plus, season 12 is so hard to write because of all the angst! I'm gonna try to sprinkle in some fluff because I know reading angst can be exhausting. I may not do every episode from Season 12, either. We'll see. Anyway, please review!**


	62. Chapter 62

**_Assistance Is Futile_**

Victoria awoke to a gentle hand on her shoulder. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she frowned up at Cassie's face. Victoria jolted upright. "What time is it? Am I late?"

"It's Saturday," said Cassie. Victoria rubbed her eyes. Right. She wasn't late. She had the day off. Cassie glanced behind Victoria. "Your friend called me."

Victoria's brow furrowed. She looked over her shoulder to see Penelope standing in the doorway. Penelope poised her hands on her hips. "Did you sleep on the couch last night?"

Victoria kicked the blanket off herself and stood, her joints cracking. "Looks like it."

Penelope furthered her entrance into the apartment. "Let's get coffee."

Victoria glanced at Cassie. "Is that okay with you?"

"Of course. Your friend Jennifer is supposed to come by again today, right?" Cassie replied, folding the blanket.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, Diana seems to like seeing JJ's boys. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course. Jennifer's wonderful."

"Yeah." Victoria hurried to the bedroom. She dressed simply. She ignored the pang in her lungs when she glanced at Spencer's untouched clothes. She slipped into the bathroom and put on foundation. She set it, did her eyebrows and pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail. The desire to put on eye makeup, when her crying would wash it away later, fizzled. She grabbed her purse and phone.

Penelope beamed at Victoria. "I'm so glad we're doing something today!"

"Me too," Victoria returned. She smiled weakly. They clambered into Penelope's car. Victoria was quiet the whole drive. Her shoulders stiffened more with each silent minute. She felt like she needed to say something to let Penelope know that she wasn't wallowing in her sorrow. But Victoria had nothing to say.

Penelope parked her car and shut off the engine. Victoria followed. The two walked toward the bookstore, the heels of Penelope's boots clicking against the concrete. Victoria's brow puckered. "I thought we were getting coffee?"

"We are," chirped Penelope. "There's a coffee shop inside."

"Oh. I've never been here before." Victoria mumbled.

Penelope glanced at her. "Well, you've been missing out!"

Victoria offered a weak smile. She faced ahead again. They entered the bookshop, warmth flooding over Victoria's face as they exited the crisp air of outside. The high bookshelves, dark countertops and maroon carpets muted the light shining from the chandelier. A coffee bar stretched along one side of the shop. To the right nestled a sitting area, where people lounged reading the newspaper or a book while they sipped on cappuccinos. The ceiling light glowed on the dark wood floors that weren't covered with shaggy rugs. Victoria felt a soft smile spread across her face.

"This is amazing."

Penelope beamed. "I'm glad you like it. They have some of the best coffee around. Plus, all their book covers are vintage-esque, which I really like."

They got in line. Victoria ordered a white chocolate mocha. She sat at the coffee bar beside Penelope. Victoria gazed around the bookshop, which was lined with high, full shelves. "Thank you for this, Pen."

"Of course. After this, we can go see a movie. If you want." Penelope replied.

"Okay," said Victoria. She looked around. "I don't even know where to begin with all this."

"I know, isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah," Victoria sighed. "Spencer would really like it."

"Yeah, he would. We'll take him when he gets out." Penelope smiled, though the downward drag of her mouth hinted at her sorrow.

Victoria inhaled sharply. "Sorry. I'll try not to be such a buzzkill."

"Don't apologize. You don't need to act like you aren't bothered by what's happening." Penelope replied.

"Butterscotch cappuccino?" asked the barista.

"Oh, me!" said Penelope. The barista slid a cup to her.

"And a white chocolate mocha." The barista slid the other cup to Victoria.

"Thanks." Victoria blew over the rim to cool her coffee off. She took a sip after a few moments. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit, this is orgasmic."

Penelope tossed her head back and laughed. "I told you!"

Victoria sipped from her rich, extra-sweet coffee. "Any recommendations? I kind of want to read a period drama."

"Oh," said Penelope, smacking her lips, "read Ian McEwan. He's got a lot of stuff."

"Not period drama," Victoria crinkled her nose. "He has a lot stuff from World War II."

"Yeah, which is not our era."

"I do like his writing," Victoria's shoulders dropped. "I read _The Innocent_ in college and loved it."

"I haven't read that one," Penelope frowned. "I read _Nutshell_ recently. It was pretty good, but I usually like more colorful stuff. His writing is just so… rich. It's not like, an easy read."

"Yeah," agreed Victoria, "but you also like trashy romance novels."

"Hey! It counts as reading!"

"I never said it didn't!"

"I could hear it in your mind! I see you with your judge-y McJudgerson eyes!" Penelope pointed at Victoria's eyes for emphasis.

Victoria chuckled. "All right, well, I'm gonna go peruse Ian McEwan."

"And I'm gonna go see if they have anything like _Fifty Shades of Grey_."

Victoria snorted and slid off her seat. She wandered the shelves, looking for Ian McEwan. She found him easily enough. However, he had a lot of novels. Victoria sat on the floor with seven of his books around her, reading the first chapter of each to determine which one she wanted to purchase. She settled on _Atonement_ , which was arguably one of his more famous works. She put the other books away and meandered to the checkout line. She bought the book and found Penelope in the café section, already reading a romance novel.

"I don't want to hear your disapproval."

"I didn't say anything!"

"I could feel your disapproval festering." Penelope grinned as she stood.

Victoria snickered. "You only feel that because you're embarrassed."

"Am not!"

"Mhm."

"Only because you and newbie made fun of me that one day!" Penelope pouted.

"Is _that_ why you hate Luke?" Victoria looped her arm through Penelope's as they walked along, the plastic bag from the bookstore dangling from her wrist and her coffee in her other hand.

"I do not hate Alvez." insisted Penelope.

"C'mon, Pen. You're not nice to him. And you're nice to _everybody_."

"It's playful banter."

"No, it's not."

Penelope stopped and leaned her head back, groaning. "I just don't like change, okay?"

"You were distant when I joined the team, but at least you didn't relentlessly tease me. You and Alex started off on the wrong foot, but you accepted her quickly. You loved Tara right away. Why not Luke?" Victoria argued.

"Don't profile me."

"I'm not profiling you, Pen." Victoria replied gently.

Penelope scowled. "Look, I… I don't hate him. Maybe… I'm not so nice because I want to not like him, but I do, and I feel guilty because he feels like a macho-replacement for Derek, who I miss a lot, okay?"

Victoria pressed her lips into a thin line. She faced Penelope. "I miss him, too. We all do. And while Luke is a replacement in a sense, he isn't replacing Derek. Just Derek's position on the team, okay?"

"See, I know all this. But I can't help it. I just… I need more time, okay?" Penelope avoided Victoria's gaze by fishing her keys out of her purse.

They resumed walking once Penelope succeeded. Victoria inhaled the rainy autumn air. "Okay."

Penelope eyed her for a moment. "And what's with the helping me with my problems? You're the one who's been sad."

Victoria grimaced. "Old habits of a former counselor."

"Ah. Makes sense." Penelope climbed into the car. Victoria followed suit. "Okay, so I figured you wouldn't want to see a romance movie."

Victoria's lips twitched. She felt a rose of gratitude blossom in her chest. "You guessed correctly."

"So, why don't we see _The Girl on the Train_? I know we're surrounded by murder and mayhem all the time, but… It won't make you sadder." Penelope raised her eyebrows until her eyes appeared doe-like.

Victoria smiled. "Thank you. That sounds perfect."

Penelope relaxed and beamed. She buckled her seatbelt. "Maybe we'll figure out who the killer is before the characters do."

…

Spencer pursed his lips after JJ finished explaining the case to him. He was glad to see her, but he hated the thought of the other inmates seeing Spencer's female friends. He already despised the idea of them seeing Victoria. So far, they hadn't commented on it. He sighed. "How's Victoria? She insists she's okay, but…"

JJ dragged her teeth across her lip. "She's… I don't know, Spence. I think she's holding up as best she can, but… She's grown distant. The rest of us feel like we're walking on eggshells around her, and I think that's beginning to irritate her."

Spencer snorted softly. His lips twitched. "Yeah, I can see her getting frustrated with that." He rubbed his face with his hands. "I don't want her to distance herself, though."

"The rest of us have a group chat excluding her. We're basically taking turns spending time with her. Garcia spent all day Saturday with her and I stopped by Sunday night with the boys. I stop by pretty much every night I can. We're taking care of her, Spence. I promise." JJ replied.

Spencer's eyes burned. "Thank you."

…

Victoria packed up her things. She paused, gazing at Spencer's empty desk. Her chest felt hollow. Her breath shortened and for a moment, she couldn't breathe. She choked, gripping the back of her chair. A strong hand splayed across her back. "Take it slow. In one, two, three… out one, two, three…"

Victoria followed Luke's instructions until her breathing evened. She met his gaze. "Sorry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for. You good?" Luke queried.

Victoria huffed. Tears filled her eyes, but she forced a smile. "I'm… Not really."

Luke smiled ruefully. "Dumb question, I know."

"It's okay. There's not a lot you _can_ say."

"Are you okay to drive?" Luke peered at Victoria under his thick eyebrows.

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

"All right," Luke said. Victoria slung her bag over her shoulder. Luke grabbed his. "Hey, are you doing anything this weekend?"

Victoria shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Maybe we can get lunch or something." Luke shrugged. "Do you like dogs?"

Victoria raised a brow. "Is the sky blue?"

Luke chuckled. "I mean, Roxy's big. She's a German Shepherd."

"I like dogs, Luke."

"Well, I take her to the park for a run on Saturday mornings."

"I don't like running." Victoria led the way out of the bullpen and pressed the elevator button.

Luke grinned. "Fair enough. Do you hike?"

"I can," Victoria allowed. The elevator dinged. They stepped inside of it.

"Well, maybe you can come with us Saturday."

Victoria frowned and then nodded. "That's really nice of you."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I just know all of you that well, and… I figured you might want to get your mind off what's going on."

Victoria nodded. "Yeah. I need out of the house a lot. I'll come, Luke. Thank you."

"No problem."

…

Spencer stared ahead at the cinderblock wall.

 _He sat at brunch with Derek, Savannah, newborn Hank and Victoria. Derek and Victoria were arguing while Savannah and Spencer listened in, sharing amused glances._

 _"_ _Name one thing where the inside matters, not the outside." Derek insisted._

 _Victoria considered for a moment. Then, she smiled. "Refrigerator."_

 _Spencer and Savannah laughed while Victoria grinned in triumph. Derek relented with a brilliant grin. "All right, fine."_

"Sup, snitch?" Frazier greeted.

Spencer jerked out of his thoughts, the memory's warmth fading from his mind. He looked up at Frazier and Duerson. Spencer tensed. "That your girlfriend who came earlier?" Duerson demanded.

"She's my friend."

"You didn't get any?" Duerson snapped.

"Nah, he got the other blonde. The one with the glasses." Frazier said.

"How do you know?"

Frazier tapped his left ring finger. "She had a nice rock on that finger."

Spencer swallowed. Duerson shrugged. "She could be anyone's wife." He looked at Spencer. "And what would a cute little thing like her be doing with someone like you?" He grabbed Spencer and slammed him against the wall. "But you know what I'd do to a sweet pussy like that?"

Spencer clenched his teeth. He tried to push Duerson off him. Frazier cackled. "He doesn't like you talkin' about his wife like that!" Duerson slammed Spencer onto the bed while Frazier muffled Spencer's cry for help by covering his mouth with a rag. Duerson punched Spencer in the gut. He hit Spencer again and again, cracking a rib and knocking the breath out of his lungs. Frazier hit Spencer so hard in the face that he blacked out for a few seconds. Spencer screamed until his throat was raw, but no one came to help him.

 _He was tied to a chair, his heart pounding. Victoria was on the floor and Korey straddled her. Spencer screamed. "Korey, stop!"_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _She's… She's everything to me."_

Spencer squeezed his eyes shut and waited for Frazier and Duerson to get bored of beating him. Eventually, they backed off. Duerson got so close to Spencer's face that the bald inmate's breath washed over Spencer's face. "Think about what I could do to your wife next time you wanna snitch." He spat in Spencer's face and left.

Spencer waited until they had gone to cry.

 **…**

 **I'm so sorry it's been like a million years! Same old, same old. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review!**


	63. Chapter 63

**_In the Dark_**

Victoria curled in her chair with a mug of tea. She sipped at it while she read _Atonement_. The further she delved into the novel, the sadder she became. The novel mirrored her situation with Spencer so close it stung. Cecilia Tallis and Robbie Turner loved each other but external forces separated them when Cecilia's younger sister wrongly accused Robbie of rape. Tears slid down Victoria's cheeks when Cecilia promised to wait for Robbie as the police dragged him away in handcuffs. War ravaged England in the novel, stretching the chasm between Robbie and Cecilia. Eventually, the younger sister found Cecilia and Robbie, reunited but loath to speak with her. Victoria didn't blame them. Victoria's heart ripped when she realized that Robbie and Cecilia never reunited. They both died in the war before ever seeing each other again. The younger sister had imagined their reunion.

Victoria pulled her knees to her chest and cried. Would she be reunited with Spencer? Or would she forever look at him through bars? Could they only touch the glass between them? Would she never feel his hand in hers, hear his laugh, curl against him as he read? Were they damned to this life of proximity but not close enough?

…

Spencer pressed his lips together as he entered the visitation room. Whose face would he look upon today? Who would he have to reassure today, especially when they laid their eyes upon his bruised face? His limbs felt heavier and his chest tightened when he saw Penelope's sweet face. He had half a mind to turn around and go back to his cell. But his feet carried him to the window. He sank into the seat, averting Penelope's wide eyes and ajar mouth.

"Spencer," she gasped, "who did this to you?"

Spencer shook his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. Oh my God," Penelope choked. She covered her mouth. Spencer met her gaze. Tears slipped down her cheeks. His heart clenched for her.

"Penelope, I'm okay. It'll make it worse if you do anything." Spencer kept his voice low, but the urgency broke through Penelope's distress. She sniffled and wiped her eyes but nodded.

"Do you have any friends in here?"

Spencer nodded. "Luis Delgado and Shaw."

Penelope wiped her eyes again. "Okay. Okay. That makes me feel better, knowing that you're not alone in there. But you're not alone, you know. We're all working to get you out of here."

"I know, Pen. Thank you." Spencer's smile felt forced.

"Victoria's working the hardest. I'm pretty sure she could recite your case from memory. She's read it so many times." Penelope shook her head.

Spencer frowned. His heart clenched for his wife. She possessed a bleeding heart, one that sought to help and comfort others before tending to itself. He knew that Victoria felt helpless, and that helplessness was driving her crazy. She hadn't reached a boiling point, but Spencer knew his wife. He knew how she coped with stress. "You've all been keeping an eye on her?"

"Yeah. But Reid, do you really think having us watch her is good for her? I mean, we're all here for her. But I don't want her to feel suffocated."

"I don't either. I just want…" Spencer choked on his words as his eyes burned. "I need to know that she's okay. I don't want her to withdraw."

"Me neither," Penelope murmured. "JJ's there a lot, to check on your mom, too."

"How is she?"

"She's great. She misses you, but Victoria's really good with her. I mean, I know they had some rough days at first, but… Something good's come out of this whole mess. Victoria and your mom are getting along. I think they both have good days and bad ones, but…"

"Time's up!" yelled the warden.

Spencer glanced at him before leaning toward Penelope. "Don't tell Victoria what happened to me."

"Reid, I… You know I can't keep secrets."

"Please. I don't want her to worry more. Don't tell her." Spencer stood.

Penelope gaped at him. "I'll try."

…

"Victoria," Luke sounded weary.

Victoria looked up from her desk work. "Hm?"

"Prentiss wants to speak with us. It's about Reid." Luke's eyes rounded with gentleness.

Victoria tensed. She hated the sympathetic looks the team kept giving her. She hated how they walked on eggshells around her. She forced herself to relax her jaw to keep from chafing her teeth. "Okay."

She followed Luke into Emily's office. Emily gestured for Victoria to take a seat, but Victoria remained standing. Emily pursed her lips. "Garcia visited Reid today."

Victoria frowned. "I know." Emily and Luke exchanged a glance. Irritation blossomed in Victoria's chest. "What happened?" She tried to keep her tone respectful but couldn't help the exasperation that leaked into her voice.

"Reid's hurt. Bad." said Luke, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Victoria felt the tension in her body slump. Her scowl flattened. "How bad? Why isn't Garcia telling me this?"

"Reid asked her not to tell you. I got her to tell me, though." Luke's mouth twisted.

Victoria's eyes hardened. "Reid did _what_?"

"I'm sure he just didn't want to add to your stress." Emily murmured.

Victoria scoffed. "How gallant of him." She ran a hand through her hair and paced the office, tears blurring her vision. She blinked them away and swallowed the sharpness in her throat. She stopped in front of Emily's desk, her hands on her hips. "I need to see him."

"Victoria, if Reid didn't want Garcia to tell you, maybe seeing him is a bad idea."

Victoria bristled. "So, I'm just supposed to go on a case and pretend everything's fine? I'm supposed to ignore all those looks of pity? I'm tired of being treated like a little bird. I can't stand by and do nothing while he's hurt."

Emily grimaced. "You're right. Luke is going to the prison to talk to a friend that Reid's made there: Shaw. I'll call Fiona and see if she can get you a private visit with Reid. Maybe it'll distract him since Alvez will be talking with Shaw."

Victoria relaxed. "Thank you. I didn't mean to yell, I… I'm just tired of all of you acting like you're going to say the wrong thing and it'll shatter me or something. I can take the truth. I don't want it sugarcoated to spare my feelings, especially from my closest friends."

"You're right," Emily sighed. "You deserve better than that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Victoria averted her friend's gaze, her cheeks burning. She'd just yelled at her friend, her _boss_. What had gotten into her?

…

Spencer folded a towel, ignoring the aches throughout his body. Luis eyed him from the other folding station. "Looks like you got one of the beatings meant for me. Does it still hurt?"

Spencer looked at his friend and offered him a small smile. "It's not that bad."

"Thank you." Luis sounded choked.

"You would've done the same thing." Spencer replied.

"Actually, uh, no. I wouldn't." Luis muttered, lowering his gaze. Spencer's folding froze. Loyalty didn't carry the same weight for Luis as it did for Spencer. He had forgotten that. He knew the BAU would've taken a beating for him, no questions asked. Spencer would take one for them, or any of his friends. But this was prison. And Luis was not the same type of friend that he had on the outside. "Anyway," said Luis, drawing Spencer from his thoughts, "now that we've picked a different side of the herd, they'll keep coming back."

"Then we'll keep fighting." Spencer replied.

Luis shook his head. "Nah, man, it doesn't work like that. Next time they'll come with demands. And if we say no, we ain't goin' to the infirmary. We're goin' to the morgue."

Chills rippled through Spencer's veins. His throat felt dry. That wasn't an option for him. He had promised Victoria that he would get out of here. He was not going to die in prison. He would fight like hell to get back to Victoria.

…

Victoria bounced her knees as she waited for Spencer to enter the private visitation room. It was usually reserved for lawyers and doctors visiting the inmates, but Fiona had pulled some strings. Spencer entered the room.

He stopped in his tracks and widened his eyes when he saw Victoria. He must've been expecting Fiona. His lips parted. "Victoria, you shouldn't be here." He turned to leave.

Victoria jumped to her feet. "Spencer Walter Reid, sit down right now!"

Spencer turned, his eyebrows raised. He blinked before taking a few small steps toward the table. He eyed her for a moment and then sat down. Victoria glowered at him, then sat across from him. "What're you doing here?"

Victoria inhaled. She chose not to tell him about Luke; it would only irritate Spencer. He didn't want them to get involved, and they were doing just that. "I heard about what happened." Her eyes coasted over Spencer's bruised face. Yellow edged the purple shadows on his cheek and forehead and underneath his eye. She wanted to brush her fingers across his bruises and kiss the pain away.

Spencer closed his eyes and sighed. "I should've guessed that Garcia wouldn't be able to keep this a secret."

"Garcia didn't tell me. Luke did." Victoria replied.

Spencer looked at her. "Luke?"

"He said that Garcia was a wreck. Apparently, he got her to tell him what was wrong. He told me. Technically, Garcia kept her promise. She and I haven't spoken all day."

Spencer squared his shoulders. "I'm fine, Victoria. You didn't need to come. In fact, you shouldn't have."

Victoria's skin prickled with heat and her body went rigid. "Why not?"

"It's dangerous."

Victoria failed to suffocate her scoff. "How?"

Spencer's brow furrowed. "Do you know what some of the inmates have said about you?"

Victoria shrugged. "They can't get to me out here."

"Friends on the outside can."

"I can take care of myself. I'm not alone out here."

Spencer rubbed his face. "Victoria, I don't like you seeing me this way."

"So, what? You want me to never visit you?"

"No, I…" Spencer trailed off. He lifted his gaze. "You're upset with me."

"Uh, yeah. We keep telling you to keep your head down, but you can't not stick your stupid, noble self into everything! And everyone keeps treating me like they're scared I'm going to… Throw myself out a window or something. I don't know." Victoria lowered her gaze. Her heart pumped faster, sending boiling blood through her veins. She curled her fingers into fists. Her nails stabbed into her palms.

Spencer reached for her hands but stopped. He glanced toward the camera in the corner of the room. Victoria looked at him. "I hate that 'no touching' rule." he muttered.

Victoria managed a small smile. "Me, too."

Spencer's eyes glistened. "You know that you can still talk to me, right? I want you to be honest with me."

Victoria clenched her teeth. "Honest," she repeated. She stared at her hands. "Like you were honest with me about going to Mexico?"

Spencer flinched. "I shouldn't have lied to you."

"You should've talked to me about letting your mom live with us, too." Victoria muttered.

"I know. I'm sorry that you're dealing with that by yourself."

Victoria looked at him. He gazed at her, taking her anger with the same softness that he accepted her love. The heat in her veins raised. "I should blame Scratch for all of this, but I don't. I know you didn't ask for this, but you broke the rules. I know you were doing what you could for your mother, but… I feel like you didn't think about me. You didn't care about what could happen to us. So yeah, I blame you. And I feel so… _horrible_ for being angry with you. I'm exhausted. When I'm not sad and missing you, I'm angry. And I've been burying it because I know this isn't totally your fault, but you should've talked to me. But you didn't. We used to tell each other everything, but you get these notions of protecting me, so you kept this from me. And now I feel blindsided by the one person I should trust the most. I should blame Scratch, but he's a ghost to me. I'm hurt because you lied to me."

Spencer stared at her for several seconds. "I deserve that."

Victoria closed her eyes miserably. "Now I feel like an asshole."

Spencer's lips twitched. "That wasn't my intention."

"I know." Victoria buried her face in her hands.

She felt him lean forward. She could feel his closeness. Her heart ached sharply. "Victoria, look at me." She forced herself to meet his gaze. The softness of his eyes drew her heart closer. "I can't keep my head down and ignore the bad things happening here. I can't turn a blind eye."

Victoria's eyes filled with tears. "I know, but I wish you would. I can't lose you, Spencer. I'm terrified. I'm so scared I'm going to lose you in there." She stopped to catch her breath.

"Deep breaths," Spencer reminded her. She nodded and breathed, calming her heart rate. Spencer nodded when she seemed stable. "But I'm not just taking it, either. I am fighting to get back to you. You know what makes me feel better when I start feeling scared?"

"What?"

"You. I think about all we've been through, and… Somehow, I know this isn't it. We're going to get through this. No matter how long it'll take, I know we can survive. Somehow we always do." Spencer's eyes were bright with a resolve that Victoria rarely saw.

"The waiting is killing me." she muttered.

"Me, too," Spencer admitted, leaning back. The air around Victoria felt colder. "We just have to keep distracting ourselves."

"I know," Victoria nodded. "I read _Atonement_. Not a great distraction while your husband is in prison."

Spencer let out a watery chuckle. "That's a terrible book to read in a time like this."

"I didn't know it was going to be so sad and relatable!" Victoria replied. But she laughed, too.

Their laughter subsided. Spencer gazed at her. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"I love you so much. I promise that I'm doing everything I can to get out of here alive."

"You better," Victoria replied, "or I'll kill you myself." Spencer smiled. Victoria pursed her lips as tears filled her eyes. "I love you, too."

…

Seeing Victoria always left Spencer with a dull ache in his chest. He sighed as he entered the private visitation room once more. Fiona sat at the table. "Spencer, how are you?"

"I'm okay. You have news?" Spencer replied, taking a seat.

"Good news and bad news," Fiona confirmed. "The good news is that I got your case moved to Alexandria Federal Court."

Spencer frowned. "The Rockett docket?"

"Exactly. They don't mess around. We might be able to get you before a jury as early as next month."

Spencer restrained his heart from soaring. "What's the bad news?"

"I can't get you into protective custody. Something's blocking the transfer. The B.O.P. has absolute authority over where an inmate in their custody is being housed, and anything I recommend is simply that, a recommendation." Fiona replied. Spencer lowered his gaze as his heart plummeted. So he would have to remain on his guard. Fiona leaned forward. "But Luke called me on my way here after he picked up Victoria. He told me that you should talk to your friend Shaw, the other FBI agent in here. He says to stick close to him."

Spencer frowned. "Wait, Luke told you that?"

"Yes."

"He was here?" Spencer queried.

"Yes."

Spencer's frown deepened. Why hadn't Victoria said anything? He widened his eyes. Of course. They had come to fix his situation. Victoria had been a distraction while Luke had talked to Shaw. But why keep it from him?

…

Victoria waved goodbye to the team and climbed into her car. She gripped the steering wheel without starting the engine. She stared ahead, the night darkening around her. Her vision throbbed with her heartbeat. She clenched the wheel until her knuckles glowed white. A scream ripped out of her mouth. It seemed to echo in the heavy silence. She rested her forehead against the wheel and caught her breath. Her body ached with fatigue. She stared vacantly ahead as she started the car and drove home.

She entered the apartment and regarded Cassie with a frozen smile. She sat on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. Diana napped in the other room. Victoria's eyes drifted to the bookshelf, her gaze roving over the colorful spines, an artistic skeleton. Her heart panged. It was another reminder that she felt Spencer all throughout the apartment except for him. She buried her face in her hands, her heart weighing ten pounds heavier. She wanted to cry, to relieve the scream boiling in her ribcage, but not a single tear burned her eyes. She wondered if maybe she'd run out of tears. Her heart sank lower into her stomach when she wondered how Spencer would react if she asked that question. She Googled it on her phone and found an article. Spencer's voice rambled in her head as she read that in cases of extreme dehydration, it was possible to "run out of tears," but the thin layer of fluid over one's eyes (which contributes to glistening, in contrast to the dried eyes of the dead) were made of the same fluid as tears. Victoria squeezed her eyes shut. Her breath was so shallow, and she couldn't seem to catch it. She pushed off the couch and paced the living room. Everything reminded her of him. Was there nothing she could do to alleviate the pain?

She stopped, remembering something. She entered her bedroom and changed clothes. She laid a tarp on the floor and set up a canvas on her easel. She gathered her paints and brushes and squirted out some colors on her palette. She mixed some colors but left others alone. She stroked the canvas, painting with no aim in mind. Her wrist floated as she dragged her brush along the rough surface. She moved to switch colors but realized that she had forgotten water. She filled a plastic cup with water and returned to her room, where she resumed her painting. It seemed like only a few minutes when she heard movement in the other room.

"Victoria? Cassie? Spencer? Anybody?" Diana's frantic cry sent Victoria sprawling into the living room.

"I'm here; it's okay!" Victoria hurried into Diana's line of view.

Diana placed a hand over her heart. "Goodness, you scared me. I though you'd left me here all alone."

"No, of course not. I was just in the other room." Victoria gestured to her room weakly.

Diana frowned at her. "What's all over your clothes?" She squinted, her lip curling. "Is that paint?"

Victoria's cheeks flushed, and she looked at her dirty hands. "Yeah. I've been painting."

"May I see it?" Diana asked.

Victoria widened her eyes. "Oh… um… yeah, of course." She led Diana into the room and pointed at her painting half-heartedly.

Diana stared at it for a long time. Her eyes drifted over the harsh lines in the middle, the shadows, the dark blue silhouette behind the lines and the bright red figure on the other side of the bars. "I see… A barrier between these two figures… Anger, sorrow… This is very dark."

Victoria looked at it. "I'm not sure I like it."

"I do," Diana said. "I think it reflects how you feel."

Victoria narrowed her eyes at Diana. "Why do you say that?"

"You feel separated from Spencer. He's sad to be away on his special assignment, and you're angry that you didn't get to go with him. You're stuck here with me." Diana replied.

Victoria widened her eyes. "I… I don't feel stuck here with you."

Diana looked at her. "Maybe not. But what wife would rather live with her mother-in-law than be with her husband?"

Victoria looked away. "I just want him home."

"Me too," said Diana. She turned when she heard a knock on the door.

Victoria went and answered the front door. JJ smiled, Henry beside her. Will held Michael. JJ held bags of takeout. "I've got wine, too."

Victoria smiled and let them enter. The boys greeted Diana, who brightened to see the children. Victoria and JJ worked on divvying out food onto plates. "You don't have to do this, you know. I'm okay. I can cook and take care of myself."

"I know," JJ said. "I wanted to do this for you. You need a break."

Victoria nodded. "I feel like I just need a month-long nap."

JJ laughed. "You and Spencer both."

Victoria grimaced. "I sort of blew up on him today."

"How?"

"I told him that I can't entirely blame Scratch for this. I'm not mad at him for being in prison. I'm mad that he hurt our relationship by lying to me. I feel like he didn't even give me a chance. He just… He acted like my input didn't matter." Victoria paused. Her shoulders ached.

JJ grabbed a wine opener. She passed it between her hands. "You have every right to be angry. Spence acted with his heart."

"Shouldn't I… I don't know, be part of his heart, though?"

"You know that he was protecting you."

"I do, and that irritates me. Everyone, even Spence, feels like they have to protect me from the truth. I've ignored it for the most part, but… I feel like I'm snapping. I feel so unstable. I'm angry and then I'm hopeless or sad or empty… I'm exhausted, JJ." Victoria bowed her head.

"I've tried not to walk on eggshells around you. But you have to know that you look like hell, Victoria. You look like the slightest bit of bad news is going to break you. None of us want to hurt you because we love you. You're right; Spencer made a lot of mistakes. Your relationship is going to need some repairing after he gets out of there. We're not trying to annoy you. We love you and want to keep you from suffering as much as possible. Don't crucify us for that." JJ replied. She opened the bottle of wine.

Victoria nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you guys."

JJ placed a hand Victoria's shoulder. "You're in pain. I know this is hard. Just remember that we're on your side. Spence is on your side. He needs you on his."

Victoria looked at her friend. "I know. And he knows. It means the world to me that you guys are making sure that I'm okay. I'm just hypersensitive lately. I'm taking it out on all of you because I can't take it out on Scratch. But I will. I've never wanted to kill someone, but… It might be best if I'm not with the team when we catch him, because I won't be able to control myself."

JJ stared at Victoria. "I don't blame you."

…

Spencer folded a towel. It felt wrong in his hands. It didn't possess the same softness that his towels at home did. Movement out of the corner of his eye brought his attention to Luis. Frazier grabbed Luis's hair. Spencer moved to help, but Duerson grabbed him. "No, no! Stop!" Spencer yelled, struggling against Duerson's hold.

"Nah, we're done taking orders from you, little man." said Frazier. He wielded a shiv. "Maybe we can't get to you, but we can get to your friend here."

"Let him go!"

"Shaw may have your back, but I'm in charge. So, here's lesson number one. In two weeks, my shipment's coming through, and you're gonna make sure it gets through. Are we clear?" Frazier sneered.

"Spencer!" Luis pleaded as Frazier choked him.

"Yes, it's clear!" Spencer cried.

"Lesson number two: never mess with a man's stash on the inside. When you do…" Frazier ran his shiv across Luis's throat. Spencer gasped as Luis dropped to the floor. "People get hurt." Frazier and Duerson marched out of the room. Spencer grabbed a towel and dropped beside Luis. He tried to stop the bleeding.

"Luis, it's okay. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm sorry." Spencer breathed. He looked around. "Help!" he roared. Nothing responded. "HELP!"

 **…**

 **Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the late update. My mental health has been kind of shitty for this past month and I haven't had the emotional energy to write as much. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for your support so far. Please review!**


	64. Chapter 64

**_Home Again_**

Victoria walked along the sidewalk, the misting rain sticking to her hair like tiny crystals. She huffed and folded her arms against the cool spring air. She walked to the art shop close to her apartment. She paused outside, eyeing the coffee shop next door. It was the coffee shop she and Spencer had first hung out in. It was where they used to meet for coffee, where she first connected with him. It was where he had opened up to her, where he had begun to see her not as his team's therapist, but as a friend. Her eyes roved over the windows, her chest feeling hollow. She clenched her teeth until it hurt. Her nails dug into her palms. She swore she would punch Scratch's stupid, pointed face when they finally caught him. She wasn't a violent person, but the desire to punch something -preferably the person most to blame for taking Spencer from her -grew with each day.

Victoria inhaled sharply and entered the art shop. She browsed for a few minutes before purchasing some canvases and a few new colors. She left the shop and walked back home, where she found Diana and Cassie arguing.

"I know you did it!" Diana seethed, wagging a finger in Cassie's face.

"Diana, please. I didn't do anything wrong." Cassie replied.

"What's going on?" Victoria set down the bag from the art store.

"She's stealing from us!" Diana snapped.

Cassie looked at Victoria with wide eyes. "I didn't, I swear."

"Then explain why Victoria had to replace art supplies!" Diana's face contorted.

"Diana, I used those art supplies. I have to replace colors and canvases all the time." Victoria said, trying to keep the impatience from leaking into her tone. She turned to Cassie. "Why don't you go home? I don't have work today."

"Thank you," said Cassie. She gathered her things and paused by the door, ignoring Diana's scorching eyes. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

Victoria nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you, Cassie."

Cassie smiled and left. Victoria turned to Diana, who folded her arms. "Why did you let her leave like that? She's stealing from us."

"She's not stealing, Diana. I needed to replace my art supplies anyway." Victoria replied.

"I've noticed other things, too. I'm not crazy. Spencer's favorite mug is missing. An earring of mine is gone, too." Diana insisted.

Victoria frowned. She walked into the kitchen and checked the kitchen cabinets. Diana was right; Spencer's favorite mug was missing. She turned to see Diana standing in the doorway, watching Victoria with expectant eyes. Victoria folded her arms. "Okay, his mug is missing. But I've dealt with a lot of cases, Diana. I've never heard of someone stealing just one earring. It's not enough proof. I promise that I'll keep an eye on Cassie, though."

Diana scoffed. "When will there be enough proof? When she steals our TV? Our books? Your wedding rings?"

Victoria's stomach churned. "I won't let it get that far. But we can't just accuse her when we're not sure."

"You mean _you're_ not sure."

"You're right. I'm not sure. I'm not dismissing this. I just…" Victoria paused, thinking of Spencer. "Recently, I saw someone innocent accused of murder. And he paid the price. I just want to be absolutely positive, okay?"

Diana softened. "Okay. Shall we get painting?"

Victoria managed a smile. "Sure. I got some new colors, too."

Diana returned the smile. "I was thinking we could use one of Emily Dickinson's poems as inspiration to paint something."

"That sounds like a great idea."

…

Spencer's mind burned with images of Delgado's throat bursting with blood. He couldn't forget Luis's fevered eyes as his body convulsed and blood trickled out of his mouth. Spencer's hands still felt warm blood pouring over them as he tried to stop the bleeding. His throat still ached from screaming for help.

Shaw had assured Spencer that Delgado had been killed instead -that was Shaw protecting Spencer. But Spencer knew that he was next. But he couldn't transport drugs. He refused to stoop that low. He would not fall to their level -even if he was beginning to think like them. He told himself that he was mimicking their thinking because that was his job. He was a profiler. He allowed his mind to slip into serial killers' minds for a living. He knew how evil people behaved. He would need to do it in here, but that didn't stop the nausea that ate his insides for it.

Rossi had told him that Spencer wasn't numb to the horrors in prison because he was a good person. But what was "good" behind bars? When did Spencer cross the line? Was there a line? In their prison-issued attire, they all looked the same. They all lived behind the same bars, lived with the same guards and followed the same rules. They were all trapped behind the bars because they'd all done something to earn their place there. Spencer was innocent of murder, but he wasn't innocent. He had lied to his wife and to his team. He had broken the rules of the Bureau, and now he was paying for it.

Spencer coughed as the chemicals burned his nostrils. He needed to know who was using the drugs. Who his enemies were. But he also needed to show them that he wasn't weak. He had told Victoria that he would fight to get back to her. He was keeping that promise.

…

Victoria rushed to answer her phone. Diana peered up, her reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. She lowered her book. Victoria felt her mother-in-law's eyes on her as she answered the phone.

"Jason? What's up?"

"Veeee!" Jason cried. Victoria heard the smile in his voice and felt one of her own spread across her face.

"Hey, dude. How are you?"

"I'm good. Just calling to see if you wanna play video games."

Victoria glanced toward Diana, who had laid her book down and watched Victoria earnestly. "Diana, do you care if I play video games with my brother? I don't want to bother you."

"Your brother? Is he coming?" Diana frowned.

"No, we're going to play online."

"Oh," said Diana. She shrugged. "Be my guest."

Victoria smiled her thanks. "We're a go, bro."

"Cool. What game?"

"How about Left 4 Dead? We haven't played that in a while."

"Sure. You still got your headset? I think Seth is gonna play, too."

"Yeah. I'll set the game up."

"Okay, I'll send an invite to you guys."

Victoria hung up and crossed the room to the TV. She plugged in her XBOX and set up the game. She put on her headset and sat on the couch, fiddling with the remote while she waited for the game to load. She glanced at Diana. "This game is kind of violent. Actually, really violent."

"Don't you have enough violence in your work?"

"It's a zombie apocalypse game. It's just an easy way for me to stay in contact with my brothers."

"I think that's nice of you."

"Thank you," Victoria smiled.

"All right, you ready?" Jason's voice said out of the TV.

Diana widened her eyes and stared at it. Victoria moved her mouthpiece. "It's okay, it's just Jason and Seth. We're on XBOX Live, so we can talk to each other through the game."

"Oh," Diana relaxed. "Neat."

Victoria pushed the mouthpiece back in front of her lips. "I'm ready."

"Seth is gonna join us in a little bit." Jason replied.

"Cool."

They delved into the game, firing at zombies and each other, just to tick the other off. Victoria tossed a Molotov cocktail and set Jason's character on fire.

"Oh, dude, what the hell!" Jason cried.

Victoria laughed. "Sorry, there were too many zombies around you."

Jason's character shot Victoria's several times. Her character collapsed, incapacitated. Seth joined the game.

"Hey, hey, hey," he greeted, "what's going on here?"

"Um, a lot of friendly fire." Victoria answered as Seth's character healed hers.

"What, you help her first?" Jason barked.

"I like her more than you."

They continued with the game, calling a truce on their friendly fire incidents to get through the level. Diana watched with twisted lips. She cracked a smile every now and then. Eventually, they completed the level and Victoria shut down the game. Almost as soon as she turned off the TV, her phone rang.

"Mom?"

"Hey, sweetheart. How are things?"

Victoria's chest clenched. She glanced at Diana, sitting in Spencer's armchair. Her eyes flicked to his messenger bag, slumped by the bookshelf, untouched in weeks. "Uh, everything's fine."

"You sound upset."

"I'm just tired."

"They work you too hard at the BAU. All those long hours and traveling…" Gemma sighed. "How's Spencer? I haven't heard from in a while."

"Oh, um," Victoria cleared her throat. "He's away on a research assignment. Special work for the Bureau."

"Oh, cool. Is he enjoying it?"

Victoria turned her face away from Diana to hide the tears pooling in her eyes. "Yeah, he really likes it. It's a great opportunity for him." Her voice cracked.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," Victoria inhaled. "I just miss him. He's been away for a while."

"Well, hopefully he's nothing like your father. He's not around other women, is he?"

Victoria scowled. "No, Mom. You really think he'd do that?"

"Well, I don't think Spencer would, but I never thought your father would, either."

Victoria hung her head and rubbed her face. "Mom, Spencer doesn't have time to cheat on me, even if he was capable of doing that."

"Okay, okay. I'm just… I'm worried, honey. You sound very… sad. And with everything that's happening with Sammy and Alice, I just wanna make sure my other baby girl is okay."

Victoria frowned and straightened. "What's wrong with Sammy and Alice?"

"Alice didn't tell you?"

"No."

"She thinks Sammy might be cheating on her."

Victoria's heart sank. "Shit. I had no idea… I haven't even tried talking with her lately. I've been so self-absorbed. Is she okay?"

"She doesn't know for sure. She's… She's about how you'd expect when you suspect your husband of cheating."

"What's she going to do about the baby?"

"She's not sure. I've told her that if she wants to divorce Sammy, then she needs to have sufficient proof that he cheated if she wants domiciliary parent. I don't want little Joey living with that pathetic excuse for a man." Gemma spat.

Victoria blinked. "Mom, you don't know if Sammy's guilty or not yet."

"Victoria, I have been cheated on before. Your father –"

"I know," Victoria interrupted, "I know what Dad did."

"Sometimes, your gut feeling is right."

"I get it," Victoria replied, "but… I recently saw an innocent man condemned and is paying the price for it just because people followed the convenient evidence. I think it's best not to judge him until we know for sure."

"Maybe you're right," Gemma sighed, "but I've just seen how miserable Alice is. I don't want my baby to be hurt like this. Any of my babies."

"I know, Mom."

"You sound like you're miserable, too. Are you and Spencer okay?"

Victoria dragged her teeth across her lip. "Yeah," she managed, "we're good. We just miss each other."

"Okay…" Gemma didn't sound convinced. Victoria let herself relax when Gemma didn't pursue the topic further. "There's another reason I called."

"What's up?"

"We have a lawyer coming in this weekend to go over Nana's will. I'd like you to be there."

Victoria closed her eyes. "Now's not really a good time…"

"I know it's difficult for you to get down here, but do you have any vacation days? Leave of absence days? Sick days? Anything? I think it's important for you to be here. With everything that's going on with Alice, me and the will…"

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing bad," Gemma said quickly. "But I'd like to tell you in person. And I'd like the family to be a part of the will. It's important for you to be involved."

"Okay," Victoria huffed. "I'll talk with Emily tomorrow and see if I can take a few days off this weekend."

"Thank you, sweetheart. It means a lot to me."

"I know."

"All right, I'm going to go take a bubble bath. Love you, booboo."

"Love you too, Mom." Victoria hung up the phone and slumped into the couch.

"Are you all right, dear?" Diana queried.

Victoria looked at her mother-in-law, her heart twisting sharply. "My family… there's just a lot of stuff going on with them right now."

"Is everything okay?"

"My sister thinks her husband's cheating on her." Victoria muttered, shaking her head.

"Hm," said Diana, nodding. "Your mother was questioning Spencer as well, I heard."

"My mother questions every man's motivation." Victoria defended.

"Hell hath no fury," Diana replied. "I appreciate your defending my son's honor."

"Of course."

"Spencer would never do that, you know," Diana said. "He's good-hearted. And he loves you."

"I know," Victoria smiled sadly. "I would never do that to him, either."

"I know. I can tell how much you love him, and he's not even here." Diana's lips twisted with a barely-contained smile. "Your mother wants you to visit her?"

"A lawyer is going to go over my grandmother's will, and my mother wants me to be there when that happens. She also has news for me and I think I need to be there for Alice."

"Your sister?"

"Yes."

"Family is very important. I think you should go."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Victoria folded her arms. "I still have to talk to my boss. We're shorthanded because of Spencer's assignment."

"I can imagine. Spencer is worth three people with that brain of his." Diana smiled and shook her head. She picked up her book and resumed reading.

Victoria watched her for a moment before stepping into the kitchen and searching her contacts. She held the phone to her ear, listening to the ringing.

"Mrs. Reid?"

"Fiona," Victoria greeted, "is there a way I can get a meeting with Spencer? I might be leaving town, so I'd like a private visit."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

…

Spencer ran a hand through his hair as he waited for the buzzer to sound. He walked inside the visiting room. "Tara, I don't know what else I can tell you." He stopped, seeing Victoria.

"Hey," Victoria offered him a small smile. She toyed with the sleeve of her flannel.

Spencer licked his lips. "Hey. What're you doing here?"

Victoria sat down, and Spencer followed suit. "I talked to Emily, and she's said I can take the time I need, but I'm going to Shreveport."

Spencer blinked. "To visit your family? Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Yeah, I mean… We're going over Nana's will. My mom says she has news she wants to give in person. And Alice… Alice thinks Sammy is cheating on her."

Spencer widened his eyes. His chest clenched. "Oh. I'm… I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. She doesn't know for sure. She didn't tell me. I heard it from my mom. I think… I haven't been a good sister lately. Cassie's good to watch Diana. JJ is going over there every day to visit with her, too. I'll call to check on her, too."

"Victoria, I trust Cassie and JJ. You need a break." Spencer reached to take her hand. He forced himself not to touch her. He pressed his lips together. "I know this hasn't been easy on you. And I'm sorry that I can't be there with you." His voice cracked. He blinked back tears.

"It's okay," Victoria replied. "I can handle it."

Spencer gazed at her. He searched the darkness shadowing her eyes, her chapped lips, her dull hair and her tired skin. And yet, her eyes shone. "You've been chewing on your lip."

Victoria pressed her lips together for a moment. "I… I hadn't noticed."

"You do that when you're anxious. It's your tell."

"Oh." She rubbed her lips with her fingers.

Spencer inhaled deeply. "I know you're strong enough. But I know losing Nana was hard for you. I wish you didn't have to go through it alone."

"Me too," Victoria sighed. "But we can't do anything about it. I'll have my family with me, too."

Spencer nodded. "When's your flight?"

"I'm not flying. I'm gonna drive."

Spencer scowled. "Victoria, that's a seventeen-and-a-half-hour drive, assuming you're driving sixty miles per hour and there's no traffic and you don't stop at all."

"I know."

"And you're going alone?"

"Yeah."

"I think you should fly. Don't drive."

"Spence, I'm trying to save money. I don't mind driving."

"Victoria… I'm worried about you taking that trip by yourself."

"I've done it before. I've driven many times. That's how I would visit my family before I met you."

Spencer rubbed his face. "Victoria, please. Don't drive. We have money."

Victoria sighed. "Fine. I'll fly."

Spencer relaxed. He met Victoria's gaze. "I'm really sorry that I can't be there with you."

"You have a good excuse." Victoria half-smiled.

Spencer's eyes burned, and he shook his head. "But I vowed to you that I'd be there for you, for better or worse. I made a promise to you that you would never have to do anything alone, and because of my mistakes, I'm making you do that. You're taking care of my mother on your own. You're handling my being in prison alone. You're handling your family alone. I've done this to you, and I'm so sorry."

Victoria shook her head. "Stop. Spencer, please. You made mistakes, but you never asked for this. And what I'm handling is… I'd give anything to trade places with you. God, I worry about you so much. I can't stand you being in here and I want you _out_."

Spencer curled his hands into fists to keep from reaching for Victoria as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Spencer lowered his head as he choked out a soft sob. Tears leaked from his eyes and splashed onto the metal table. "I know. I know. But I'm fighting to get back to you. You know that? I think of you, and I'm stronger. I know we can get through this. I know you and the team will get me out of here."

Victoria looked up, her face blotchy. She sniffled. "Scratch will pay."

Spencer felt frost feather through his chest. He'd never seen pure hatred darken Victoria's eyes like that. She hadn't even hated Korey like that. He shifted. "Victoria, I don't think it's Scratch who did this. At least, not directly."

Victoria widened her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Tara did another cognitive interview with me. I remembered something about Mexico. It wasn't Scratch who killed Nadie Ramos, and it wasn't Scratch who drugged me. It was a woman." Spencer said, leaning forward.

Victoria's brow furrowed. Her gaze flicked from side to side, as if chasing one thought to another. "Did you recognize her?"

"No."

"Scratch doesn't work with others."

"He could've changed M.O."

"How likely is that?"

Spencer lowered his gaze. "Not likely."

Victoria bit her lip. "I'm sure Tara already asked this, but can you think of any women who have it out for you?"

Spencer rubbed his forehead. "No."

Victoria folded her arms. "I can think of one, but it's impossible."

"Who?"

"Cat Adams."

Spencer considered it before dismissing the thought. "She's in prison."

"That's why I said it's impossible." Victoria huffed. She picked at her fingernails for a moment. "Well, now I hate to leave now that we have a break in your case."

"It's not much of a break."

"It's more than we've had in a while." Victoria argued.

Spencer nodded. "Maybe. But your family needs you. And you need a break from all of this."

A buzzer sounded and a guard entered the room. Spencer's heart shriveled while Victoria lifted her wide eyes to meet his. "I love you."

Spencer's lips twitched as he stood. "I love you, too."

He turned away from his wife, his chest aching.

 **…**

 **So, Victoria's off to visit her family. I'm trying to spread out updates since Season 13 isn't over yet, and until it comes out on Netflix, I can't really do its episodes. Unless Season 12 doesn't end on a cliffhanger, then I can fill the space with fluffy chapters. It just depends.**

 **Also, in Season 12, when the team was debating on who could have it out for Reid, I literally yelled at the TV "Cat fucking Adams!" But then it turned out to be Lindsay Vaughan and Cat Adams, which I didn't see coming, but I was half-right. So Victoria's half-right.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I appreciate the well wishes. I'm doing better. I've just had to distance myself from a few people. I also applied the master's program for my school, so I've been busy getting my recommendation letters in and all that.**

 **Thank you guys for your constant support!**


	65. Chapter 65

**_A Greater Love_**

Victoria rolled her suitcase into the living room. A knock sounded on the front door. "Coming!" Victoria called.

Diana strode toward Victoria and grabbed her by the arm before the latter could answer the door. "Don't tell me that's Cassie!"

Victoria frowned. "I'm going to be out of town for a few days, Diana. You can't stay here by yourself."

"She's been stealing my underwear!" Diana insisted, her face turning pink.

Victoria pressed her lips together for a moment. "Diana, I don't think she's been stealing your underwear. I haven't noticed any missing in the laundry."

"Well, I have. My favorite pair, the one with those lovely pink flowers on them, are gone! And some of the fine china has gone missing."

Victoria heard another knock on the door. She looked toward it. "Be there in a sec!" She faced Diana. "Look, I'll deal with it when I get back, okay? I don't want to miss my flight. Cassie takes really good care of you, and I haven't found sufficient proof that she's stolen anything."

"You haven't looked." Diana spat.

Victoria sighed. She couldn't deny the truth of Diana's words. "I'm sorry, I've just… I've been really busy." She walked to the door and answered it. "Hey, Cassie. Sorry about that. Thank you so much for coming."

"Of course, Mrs. Reid. Hello, Diana." Cassie greeted Spencer's mother with the warmth of a bakery, but Diana folded her arms and scoffed.

Victoria's neck heated. She looked at Cassie. "She's being a little bit difficult." She kept her voice low, though she felt Diana's eyes on her.

Cassie patted Victoria's arm. "It's quite all right. Nothing I haven't handled before. These kinds of things are normal."

Victoria relaxed. "Thank you again."

Cassie nodded. She moved to the couch to unpack her bag. "So you'll just be gone a few days?"

"Five days at most," Victoria replied. She looked around. "I think I have everything. JJ will be by to check on y'all every day."

"All right, have a safe flight." Cassie waved.

Diana folded her hands and approached Victoria, her eyes teary. "Don't leave me."

"Diana, I won't be gone long. I've left you for longer. I promise you, you'll be okay. Okay?" Victoria placed her hands on Diana's arms.

Diana nodded stiffly. "If you say so."

"Bye." Victoria dropped her hands.

"You're going to leave without giving me a hug?" Diana barked, placing her hands on her hips. Victoria raised her eyebrows but smiled. She hugged her mother-in-law. Diana grunted. "Oh, you give good hugs like Spencer. Love you, dear. Have a safe trip. Tell Spencer I said hello."

Victoria's heart twisted. She played along with Diana's lapse in memory, her heart too weak to remind Diana that she wasn't going to see Spencer. "I will. He'll be home soon."

"He better." Diana replied, drifting back to her armchair.

Victoria waved to Cassie and stepped out of the apartment. She fumbled for her keys to lock them in. A door to her left closed. The jingle of keys lifted Victoria's attention from locking the door to the women at the other end of the hall. The woman turned. She was young, with long brown hair and round brown eyes. She smiled shyly at Victoria.

"Did you just move in?" Victoria asked as she locked the door.

The woman smiled. "Yeah."

Victoria returned the smile. "That place has been empty for a while."

"Have you lived here very long?" the young woman asked.

Victoria glanced toward the apartment. She had lived there on and off for nearly four years, but barely a year in official terms. "Sort of. My husband's lived here a long time, but I only just moved in."

"How long have you been married? Not long, I guess." The woman laughed nervously as they trekked down the stairs.

"A couple of months." Victoria's lungs clenched, and her mouth flooded with a metallic taste.

"How sweet," said the woman. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Victoria replied. "Welcome to the building."

"Thank you," said the woman. They exited the building together. "I'll see you around."

Victoria watched the woman turn away. "Wait! I didn't catch your name."

The woman turned and smiled. "Sorry! It's Carol Atkinson." She held out her hand.

"Victoria Reid." Victoria returned, shaking Carol's hand.

Carol's smile widened. "It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Reid."

"Likewise." Victoria replied. She turned away and headed for her car to drive to the airport.

…

Spencer sat across from Fiona, who had sprung this spontaneous meeting. His heart shivered. Fiona folded her hands in front of her. "I have bad news."

Spencer swallowed as his heart palpitated in his ears. "What?"

"I've just learned that they decided to grant your trial a continuance."

Spencer felt his face drop. "A continuance? For how long?"

"Six weeks." Fiona replied.

"I don't understand," Spencer shook his head. "The Alexandria District Court is the rocket docket."

"I know. But there are delays because of the arresting officers' limited availability." Fiona explained.

"Because they have to travel from Mexico to Virginia?"

"And because they have domestic testimony obligations. This is the price we're paying for getting the case moved back to the States." Fiona's brow furrowed. Spencer opened his mouth but closed it to swallow the lump in his throat. Six weeks. He didn't know if he could survive another six weeks. Fiona leaned forward. "I'm working directly with the warden on getting extra visiting privileges. I might even be able to get you conjugal visits with Victoria."

Spencer lowered his eyes, which burned. The lump in his throat hardened. "I don't know if I can…"

"Spencer, listen to me. There is a strategic silver lining here. These extra six weeks give the BAU time to track down the woman that you remembered."

"Have they made any progress?" Spencer asked, lifting his head.

"They're pouring every ounce they have into locating her. And now that you remember that big detail…" Fiona trailed off.

"I might remember more." Spencer connected.

"I know how hard this is, but our best hope is exonerating you before a verdict. And these six weeks could be a blessing in disguise." Fiona said.

Spencer closed his mouth and nodded, though he failed to ignore the sharp twisting in his stomach. _Deeply disguised,_ he thought bitterly. His meeting ended abruptly, with Fiona sweeping off to either tend to other business or work on her promises to him. Half of him wanted to see his team more. Their visits and letters strengthened him. The other half didn't want any of them to see him like this.

And what about conjugal visits with Victoria? His stomach plummeted with the thought that Fiona was considering that. Conjugal visits were for prisoners who expected to spend a lengthy amount of time in prison. If Fiona was seeking the possibility of allowing that privilege, it meant she expected Spencer to be in prison for a while.

Spencer sat on his bed and ran his hands through his hair. Could he do that, anyway? Could he meet with Victoria in a cage? Could he hold her for a few hours, only to return to the iron bars? Could he damn Victoria to that life?

He would give anything to hold her. But he would never want that life for her. He had always wanted her happiness, and he could never see her being happy, married to him while he was incarcerated.

He nearly choked on the lump in his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and conjured Victoria's face into mind. He needed to relive a moment, any moment…

…

Victoria grabbed her suitcase from baggage claim. She withdrew her phone and sent Spencer a text without thinking. her heart soured with a twang. She pursed her lips and texted Penelope, letting her know that she had landed safely and to tell whoever visited Spencer next to tell him that she was safe. Penelope sent an affirming reply with kissing emojis. Victoria smiled and then stepped outside the Shreveport airport and waited for her mother to pull up.

She grinned when her mother's white SUV pulled over near the curb. Victoria put her suitcase in the trunk and climbed into the passenger seat. Her mother grinned at her. "How was your flight?"

Victoria stretched. "Not bad. What big news do you have for me?"

"I'm gonna tell everyone together tonight at dinner. Did you bring something nice to wear?" Gemma glanced back at Victoria's suitcase, as if she could examine the contents.

"Er, I didn't know I was supposed to."

"You can borrow something of Alice's or mine. We're going to Superior Steakhouse tonight."

"What's the occasion?" Victoria asked, lifting a brow.

"All of my babies are in town," said Gemma. She frowned. "Plus, I want to talk to you guys about tomorrow's meeting."

Victoria chewed on her cheek. "Do we need to behave?"

"No," Gemma's lips twisted with a smirk. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

Victoria shrugged. "Okay."

Gemma pulled into her driveway after another fifteen minutes of driving. Victoria hopped out of the car and retrieved her suitcase. She rolled it into the house, where Jason instantly greeted her with a hug.

"Vee!" He caged his lanky arms around her without touching her skin. Victoria patted his back.

"Hey, Jason."

He released her and took her suitcase. He brought it into the guest room for her while Victoria remained in the kitchen. She sat on a stool and withdrew her phone. She texted her sister, asking to look through her closet for nice clothes for dinner.

Alice texted back with an enthusiastic yes, so Victoria stood. "Mom?" she called.

"Yeah?" Gemma replied from the other room.

Victoria walked into the room. "Do you mind if I take your car to Alice's?"

"Sure. Keys are in my purse." Gemma said without looking up from her phone. Victoria strode to her mother, kissed her forehead and then left the room. She retrieved her mother's keys.

"You're leaving?" Jason said from behind her.

Victoria turned and smiled apologetically. "I didn't pack anything nice for dinner, so I'm going to Alice's. I'll play video games with you if we have time tonight."

"Okay." Jason sounded glum.

Victoria's stomach twisted, but she walked out of the door. Her sister's predicament was more important than her brother's desire to play video games. She climbed into her mom's car and drove to Alice's townhouse a few neighborhoods over. She parallel parked on the street and strode up to the front door. She knocked in case Joey was asleep.

Alice answered the door after a moment. Redness rimmed her eyes and the blossomed the tip of her nose. Shadows circled her eyes. Her hair, usually glossy and styled in loose curls, hung in dull, frizzy waves around her face. She greeted Victoria with a smile. "You look as bad as I do. Is everything okay?"

Victoria stepped into Alice's foyer. "I should be asking you that. Mom told me about Sammy."

Alice lowered her head. "Yeah. I'm not positive. But… I just have that feeling, you know?"

"Yeah," Victoria's mind flashed to Korey. "I know."

Alice's eyes brimmed with tears. "I don't know what to do."

Victoria folded her arms. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

Alice led Victoria into the kitchen before answering. "I don't know. I mean, you're so busy with your job. And I guess I didn't want to talk to someone with a perfect marriage." She slumped into a chair.

Victoria laughed dryly. "I do _not_ have a perfect marriage, Alice."

Alice lifted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Spencer is in prison." Victoria worked her jaw and looked at the floor as Alice's eyebrows shot up.

"What? Why? What the hell happened? And why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't want anyone else to know. At least not yet. He's being framed. I mean, he lied to me and got into trouble with the Bureau, which is why they won't represent him for this, but… He didn't ask for prison. He doesn't belong there. And we're trying to get him out, but I'm scared… I'm so scared we won't be able to." Victoria sank into a chair. She closed her eyes and rested her face in the palm of one hand.

"Victoria…" Alice breathed.

Victoria smiled grimly. "I came here to find out what's going on with you, not talk about me. I'm sorry. I've been a really selfish sister."

"You've been busy." Alice allowed.

Victoria shook her head. "That's no excuse. I shouldn't push you away because of the things going on in my life. You need me, too."

Alice sighed. "I… I didn't say anything because I'm not sure. And I know that all of you will immediately hate Sammy if he did. You guys are already bitter about it. And I know it's because you're protective and all, I just…"

"Don't want us to condemn an innocent man." Victoria finished.

Alice relaxed. "Exactly." She frowned. "I suppose you understand because of Spencer. Is he okay? He… He doesn't seem cut out for prison at all."

Victoria stiffened. "He's stronger than he seems."

"I know," Alice replied, "but he's just… I don't know, _soft_."

Victoria's lips twitched. "He is. But he's not weak, either. And he's smart. I'm just worried that his good heart will get him in trouble. Most of the other inmates are numb to it all. They don't mind hurting other people to do bad things, because that's how they ended up there. But Spencer… He's a profiler. He joined the FBI to keep people from getting hurt. He wants to do the right thing. And he's stubborn. He won't compromise who he is just to survive. But he swears to me that he's doing everything he can to make sure he makes it out."

"Does he have a trial?"

"Yeah. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks."

"How long has he been in there?"

Victoria's shoulders slumped. "Almost two months."

"Fuck, Victoria. I'm sorry."

Victoria lifted her eyes. "I'm sorry about Sammy, too."

Alice's eyes brimmed with tears. "Yeah. Well, what can you do?"

Victoria frowned. "You make him regret doing this. If he did it."

Alice blinked, splashing a few tears down her cheeks. She wiped them away. "How? I don't even have proof."

"So get proof. When we get done going over the will tomorrow, we're going to get some nanny cams and set them up in the house. I can call Penelope to see if she'll check his bank accounts and things like that." Victoria said.

Alice lifted a brow. "She can do that?"

"Probably. We'd have to find a loophole in the system… Or we could just hire a P.I."

Alice chewed on her lip. "Mom did that when she suspected Dad was cheating."

"Yeah."

Alice straightened. "Maybe I should hire a P.I. I'm going to need proof of infidelity anyway."

Victoria nodded. "Would you want full custody of Joey?"

Alice bit her lip. "I don't know if I could take Joey away like that. We grew up without a father. It sucked. I don't want to put my son through that. Oh God," Alice buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

Victoria placed an arm around her sister. "Hey, we don't know if Sammy is guilty or not. And even if he is, you are beautiful and kind and funny and smart… You will not be alone for long, trust me."

Alice took a few breaths to calm herself. "I need a drink. A really, really strong one."

"We can go get drinks tomorrow after the meeting."

"Okay," Alice agreed. "Maybe we should invite Brett, too. We never hang out with that asshole."

"It's because he's an asshole."

"Poor Brett," laughed Alice, "he's not here to defend himself."

"That's the point." Victoria stood. "Can I go through your closet to borrow an outfit for dinner?"

"Sure." Alice led Victoria upstairs and into her room. She entered the closet and flipped the light on. They started going through the clothes.

"So, do you have any idea what Mom's big news is?"

Alice paused in her search to look at Victoria. "I was going to ask you, Miss Profiler."

"That's Mrs. Profiler to you," Victoria grinned. She turned back to the clothes. "I don't know. Mom seems happy about it, so… I don't think it's bad news. Maybe a little nervous, too."

Alice hummed in response. "I do have an idea about what she wants to talk about at dinner, though."

"Yeah?"

"We've been talking about going on a family trip. I think she wants to travel more, and I think she wants us to go. Maybe she wants to propose a trip."

"She's never talked to me about a family trip." Victoria frowned. She withdrew a dress from the rack, frowned and then put it back. She didn't inherit the tall and slender gene of the family like Alice.

"We got brunch together a few weeks ago and talked about it. I mean, she mentioned it briefly. She just said she regrets not taking us on family vacations when we were kids, so I think she was hinting about it then. Brett told me she's mentioned it to him, too."

Victoria sighed, her stomach dropping. "I guess that's the downside of living in Virginia. I don't talk to you guys as much."

"Yeah, but at least you got out of Monroe."

"So did you. Living in the big city of Shreveport." Victoria teased.

Alice scowled over her shoulder. "I like it here. It's a good place for the bakery. But you always wanted to get far away from Louisiana. I'm glad you did. It gives me an excuse to come visit you."

Victoria smiled. "I do like my job and where I live."

"Yeah, you're kind of a badass now." Alice laughed. She turned. "What about this?" She held a sparkly, emerald shirt in her hands. "You can pair it with jeans and heels."

"I'll try it on." Victoria slipped off her shirt and pulled on the emerald one. The sequins scratched her skin a little bit, but it wasn't unbearable. She nodded. "How do I look?"

"Hot," said Alice. "Can I do your hair? You suck at it."

Victoria laughed. "Sure."

…

 _Spencer heard the buzzer one last time. He felt his heart soar, the shackles of incarceration lifted from his wrists. He ran out of the prison, his feet slamming against the pavement. He had never run harder. He saw her. She stood outside, alone. The woods were around her, fog dangling at her ankles. He picked her up, holding her in his arms. He hadn't felt her in his embrace in nearly two months. He spun her around, grinning and laughing. She uttered no sound. He set her down, his smile hurting his cheeks. But it was the best kind of pain. He cupped her face._

 _"_ _I'm free," he breathed. "Victoria, I'm free."_

 _Victoria smiled, though tears filled her eyes. "I know. I told you that no matter what, you'd get out of here."_

 _His smile faltered. "What do you mean?"_

 _A face appeared behind Victoria, over her shoulder. The nose was long and pointed. The eyes were beady. The lips were thin. Mr. Scratch sneered a rat's snarl. "She's mine." His hands reached around Victoria's mouth. She disappeared with a hiss of smoke._

 _Spencer screamed her name and reached for her, but his hands held emptiness. A woman's laugh raked chills down his spine. He turned. A faceless woman stood behind him. "It's time to go, Spencer."_

 _The haze of drugs slowed his movements. His limbs felt heavy as he reached for the silver keys extended in the woman's hands. She had brown hair, that much he could tell. His palm burned. He glanced at the cut on it, the blood that made everything sticky. He looked up, his eyes half-open. He couldn't seem to open them anymore. He followed the woman out, into the blazing Mexican heat. Sweat glued his flannel shirt to his chest. He felt the ghost of Victoria's hands on his chest on their wedding night. His feet dragged. His mind was too slow. His body was too slow. He could hear his breathing. He could feel his heartbeat in his skull and his ears. He stumbled, kicking up dust._

 _"_ _Spencer, it's okay…" Victoria's breath tickled his ear._

 _"'_ _M… sorry…" Spencer mumbled. He reached for the open car door._

 _The faceless woman giggled. "You better hurry, Spencey. I just killed Nadie, and your wife's next."_

 _Spencer slid into the car and started the engine. He couldn't let this woman go. He had to go after her._

Spencer jerked awake. He panted, staring at the cinderblock ceiling. He sat up and tugged at his T-shirt, which clung to his skin. He drew his knees up and rested his elbows on them. He lowered his face into his hands. He couldn't say it was a memory. But he knew dreams were based off memories. The fibers of the dream were already slipping away, but he knew he had dreamt of Mexico. He knew the faceless woman had killed Nadie Ramos and had threatened Victoria. He had climbed into that car and chased after the faceless woman to catch her, to bring her to justice and to protect his wife.

Spencer's throat closed. Could Victoria still be in danger? He was in prison, but Victoria was vulnerable. Whoever had framed him was still out there. He knew they had threatened Victoria. Had it been a ruse to get him to go after the faceless woman? Or was she still planning to hurt his wife? What about his mother?

He stood and paced his cell. He needed to tell Emily. Victoria was in Louisiana, far away from the protection of the BAU. Emily needed to know, just in case his family was still in danger. He paused. But it had just been a dream. Perhaps his worry manifested itself into dreams mixed with memories. It wasn't exactly evidence that Victoria was in danger. Yet, his gut lurched with the thought. His skin tingled, as if he sensed an electric storm stirring in the clouds. He knew the clouds were going to break.

…

Victoria pushed her plate of half-eaten filet mignon away from her. She felt as if she were about to burst. She hadn't eaten a meal that good in months. Her siblings and mother seemed to slow down their eating, too. Their chatter picked back up, filling the room with laughter and trash-talk.

Jason rambled about his latest accomplishment on a Guitar Hero. Victoria listened, though she sipped her wine a little faster. Alice and Brett discussed their jobs, with Brett complaining about his new receptionist. Grace and Gemma chatted about how they would recreate the pasta recipe at the restaurant. Gemma silenced the chatter by clinking her glass with her fork.

"Hey," she called, "I wanted to discuss something with y'all."

Victoria exchanged a glance with Alice. "Here we go."

Gemma scowled at them. "It's not bad, y'all. I just wanted to see how you guys would feel about us all taking a trip together."

Alice shot Victoria an I-told-you-so look. Victoria looked at her mother. "When would we go? And where? I'm open to it. And would it just be us or spouses and kids too?"

"Well, obviously your spouses are welcome. And it's up to the parents. I love spending time with my grandkids, but it does limit what we do, especially since many of them are so young." Gemma folded her hands in front of her. "I just want to share things with you guys that I couldn't when you were younger. I have the money to do this now, and so do y'all. And… Nana told me she regrets not traveling more with the family. And I'm getting older, too. I don't want to regret not doing it when I die."

Victoria's chest tightened. "Mom, don't say that."

"Now you're just trying to guilt us." Brett teased, though his eyes appeared to glisten.

"Shit, Mom. You don't have to twist our arms to travel with us." Alice joked.

Gemma smiled. "I'm not trying to guilt you guys. Nana's death has just made me realize this."

Victoria nodded. "Well, I'm happy to travel with y'all. We usually get two or three weeks off per year, but Spence and I don't take a lot of personal days, so we could use those, too. Just keep me in the loop."

"Yeah, I'll start an email chain." Alice agreed.

"And Brett and I travel all the time. We know the best places and deals." said Grace.

Gemma beamed. "I'm so glad y'all are open to this."

"Of course, Mom." said Brett, smiling.

Victoria's chest lightened. Warmth spread to her fingertips, though she still felt a little hollow. She prayed Spencer got out before they planned the trip. He needed a break. And so did she.

…

Spencer scribbled in his journal. The door to his cell slid open. Spencer glanced up but rushed to finish writing. The guard snatched Spencer's journal from his hand. "Writing materials are contraband."

Spencer froze. "The counselor wants me to keep a journal."

The guard grabbed Spencer's pencil and shrugged. "Contraband is contraband. Doesn't matter what your touchy-feely counselor has to say about it." Spencer stared at the guard, his heart sinking. The guard's eyes hardened. "On your feet. You got a visitor."

Spencer's brow pinched. The guard grabbed Spencer by the arm and led him down the corridor. "You know that lady lawyer you got? She's the one who set this up with the warden. Did it with your wife last time, too." The guard's voice grated on Spencer's nerves.

"Fiona?"

"Yeah. She's got 'em all worried over a civil suit over that beatdown you got. You should thank her for this." The guard opened the door.

"I don't want to see any visitors right now." Spencer said.

"Spencer!"

Spencer jerked his head from the guard to his visitor. His heart stuttered. "Mom."

Diana covered her mouth with her hands. Spencer's throat swelled. The guard shoved him into the room. The door slammed shut behind Spencer, who stared at his mother for a moment, his mouth dry. He gestured for her to take a seat. His heart panicked. What the hell was she doing here?

"What is this place?" Diana demanded.

"It's okay, Mom. You're just here to visit me." Spencer assured her. Diana gripped the neckline of her cardigan. He licked his lips. "Cassie told you, didn't she?"

"Cassie? I sent that girl packing. Rotten little thief. She was stealing from me."

Spencer's heart shriveled. "Mom, Cassie's not a thief. She takes really good care of you."

"That's exactly what Victoria said," Diana scoffed. "But Cassie wasn't stealing underwear from Victoria! She promised to investigate, but she never did. Your wife's too busy with work and painting to sleuth around for my stolen underwear. And the fine china! I will not tolerate that behavior. As soon as Victoria left, I got Cassie out of there."

Spencer frowned. "Well, then, how did you get here?"

"The new girl." Diana bit her lip. "Gah, what's her name? She's a real sweetheart." Diana sighed and shook her head.

Spencer lowered his gaze, his heart twisting. Victoria would have quite the surprise when she returned from her trip, with Cassie gone and a new nurse in place. Spencer wished there was some way to let her know.

Diana jumped up from her seat. "We have to get out of here," she cried. Spencer raised his eyebrows, his mind clicking into action. Responding to his mother's episodes felt like muscle memory. He jumped up as Diana said, "I saw a back staircase down the hall."

He pushed up from his chair and grabbed her gently as she rushed for the door. "Mom, Mom."

Diana jiggled the handle. "It's locked. We're locked in! Let me out! Spencer, it's locked! I can't be locked in!"

Spencer turned his mother around to face him. "Mom, you're not locked in. You're not locked in. I am."

Diana's wide eyes relaxed. She gaped. "You? No. No, not you."

"It's a misunderstanding and it's all going to be okay." Spencer assured her. His chest tightened sharply.

"What is this place?" Diana scowled around the room.

"We're in the Milburn Correctional Facility." Spencer answered.

Diana lowered her head and peered at him with narrowed eyes. "A prison?"

"Yeah. It's where… It's where I'm incarcerated pending my murder trial." The words tasted like rotten fruit.

"Because of Mexico?" Diana whispered.

Spencer nodded. "Yeah. Because of Mexico."

Diana shook her head. "This is all my fault."

Spencer led her back to the seats. "Mom, this isn't your fault. I made the choice."

Diana blinked back tears. She laughed dryly. "No wonder Victoria seemed so miserable. She kept telling me you were away on an assignment. She said it was dangerous and she was worried about you. She was lying to my face."

Spencer lowered his eyes. "I told her to. I didn't want you to worry about where I was."

Diana squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I hope I wasn't mean to her about it. I can't remember."

Spencer's lip trembled. "I'm sure you weren't."

"You were down there because of me." Diana rested her head on her hand. "I threw away that medicine you were trying to get me to take."

"Mom, I did what I did because I wanted to. You would have run out of medicine eventually, and Scratch would have been waiting. The same thing would've happened, it just would've taken longer."

Diana blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry."

"Mom, it's not your fault." Spencer insisted.

Diana shook her head. "I can't believe I'm losing you to this. Not like this." She reached across the table to take his hands. Spencer obliged. His skin felt more sensitive to hers, somehow. He hadn't had nonviolent contact with another person in nearly two months. "The Alzheimer's… I had begun to make peace with that. But this, oh… How can I leave you here?"

Spencer stared at his mother. "You are not losing me, and you are not leaving me here, because I'm gonna get out. The BAU will clear my name."

Diana shook her head. "There isn't time. Pretty soon I won't even remember you're my son anymore." Spencer couldn't breathe for a moment. His lips parted, and he blinked quickly to clear his eyes. Diana leaned forward. "I won't remember loving you."

Spencer lifted his head. "Love isn't a memory. It's so much more than that. Remember when I was little, and you first started having schizophrenic episodes?"

"Oh, I used to scare you." Diana's eyes gleamed.

"And you used to tell me that sometimes, you got confused, but you never…" Spencer paused to clear his throat. "You never stopped loving me. Because that type of love is bigger than the disease of the brain. You used to say, 'Love is a world of its own that lives in the heart, not in the head.'"

Diana's tears had stopped. She smiled. "I remember." Her smile widened, and she shook her head fondly. "You were so little, I didn't think you would."

"Even if you forget, I never will." Spencer insisted.

Diana gazed at him, her lips parted. She shook her head and released his hands. Cold air washed over them as soon as her warmth was gone. She stood. "I'm so sorry. For everything."

Spencer stood. Diana reached to put her arms around him. Spencer lifted his hands to stop her.

The door behind them opened. "Time's up. No physical contact."

"I just want to hug my son." Diana replied.

"I said step back, ma'am." replied the guard coldly. "Nurse is on her way down."

Spencer lowered his head as Diana stepped back and covered her mouth with her hands. Spencer looked at his mother. "JJ's gonna keep coming to visit you, okay? Victoria should be back soon, too."

Diana nodded. "I know. And I will write you. JJ's lovely. And Victoria… Spencer, I was so hard on her at first. But that woman loves you so much. I hope she knows that I love her, too."

Spencer pressed his lips together in a grim smile. "She knows, Mom. She loves you, too."

"Ready, Diana? It's time." A woman's soft voice sounded behind him.

"Don't rush me." Diana replied.

"It's time to go." replied the woman.

Spencer's brow pinched. He turned to look at the new nurse. She had long, dark hair and rounded brown eyes. She looked familiar. Spencer frowned. "Have we met?"

The woman smiled. "No, I'm sorry. I should've introduced myself." She held out a hand to Spencer. "Carol Atkinson."

Spencer didn't take the woman's hand. He'd seen her before. He met this woman before he met Victoria. He remembered this woman, a teenager at the time, pleading with her father to kill her kidnapper. "I know you." The woman's smile faltered. Spencer remembered hearing the shotgun's boom and the spray of blood and bits of skull on the wall. He remembered not sleeping for weeks. He met the woman's gaze. "You're Lindsey Vaughn."

The woman's face froze before she furrowed her brow. But Spencer had caught that split second of hesitance. "Um, no. Carol. Carol Atkinson. It's nice to meet you. Your mother's an angel. So glad you had this time together." The warmth failed to reach the woman's eyes. She moved past Spencer to lead his mother out. "Come on, Diana. Time to go."

Spencer's mind flashed to his dream and to Mexico. He could hear Tara Lewis telling him that his mind was playing tricks on him, but underneath that, he heard a soft voice saying, "Time to go."

The faceless woman haunting his memories and dreams focused in his mind, and he saw the nurse's face. He saw Lindsey Vaughn holding out silver keys to him, blood staining her clothes.

Spencer's mouth opened. He looked up and met Lindsey's gaze through the glass as she led his mother away. She smirked at him. Spencer charged for the door and banged on the glass. "Mom! Mom! No, Mom! MOM!"

…

Victoria peered out of the airplane window as Shreveport disappeared into gridded landscape below her. She'd said her goodbyes to her siblings and mother. Her head thumped with the remains of a hangover from drinking too much with Alice the night before. She felt lighter after seeing her family. She chewed on her cheek, thinking of her grandmother's will. She had left her estate to her two daughters, Gemma and Gwen. Gemma oversaw it. The rest of it would be split between Victoria, her siblings and her other cousins. The real estate business was left to Victoria and her siblings. They were the primary shareholders of the company. Victoria had searched through her grandmother's jewelry box and picked out a necklace to keep. It was a simple black pearl pendant, but Victoria suspected she would wear it with everything for a while.

She fell asleep on the plane. When she landed in Virginia, she felt a little better, though the weight of returning home settled back on her shoulders. She drove home, her heart shriveling more as she got closer. She parked the car and sighed. She waited to get out after shutting off the engine. She glanced at the space where Cassie usually parked. Her car was absent. Frowning, Victoria called Cassie's number. The call went straight to voicemail.

Victoria got out of the car and grabbed her suitcase. She figured Cassie and Diana had gone to a movie or the bookstore. It wasn't like Diana was in house arrest. Victoria wished Cassie had told her about taking Diana away from the apartment, but she supposed it wasn't anything to get upset over. Besides, Victoria could use the quiet to paint. She entered the apartment building and climbed the stairs. She fished for her keys and unlocked the door.

Victoria entered the apartment and set her keys on the table beside the front door. Maybe she could watch a movie or take a bubble bath. Victoria's skin tingled. The idea of a glass of wine and bubble bath sounded heavenly. She closed and locked the door. Cassie had a key, anyway. She rolled her suitcase into the living room.

"Victoria?" Diana called. Her voice sounded strained.

Victoria froze. Had Cassie left Diana alone? What the hell was she thinking? Victoria walked toward the guest room. She stopped in her tracks, staring at Diana with wide eyes. The new neighbor, Carol Atkinson, held a gun to Diana's temple. Ice rippled through Victoria's chest.

Carol smiled. "Do you have your gun on you?"

Victoria shook her head. "It's in the safe."

"Good," said Carol. "Take out your phone." Victoria hesitated. Carol cocked her gun. Diana gasped. "Take. Out. Your. Phone."

Victoria took out of her pocket and held her hands up. "Okay, okay."

"Lay it on the floor," Carol instructed. Victoria crouched slowly, keeping one hand still raised in surrender. She straightened after setting her phone on the floor. "Crush it and kick it away."

Victoria clenched her teeth but stomped on her phone with the heel of her shoe. She kicked it away. It slid across the hardwood and bumped the wall. "You're her. You're the reason he's in prison."

Carol simpered. "Smart girl. We're having to rush the plan a little bit because Spencer recognized me, but it is good to finally meet face to face."

Victoria swallowed. She had to keep Carol talking. "Who's we?"

Carol grinned. "You mean you haven't guessed?"

"I don't even know who _you_ are." Victoria snapped.

"Lindsey Vaughn," said Carol. Victoria's brow pinched. Lindsey shrugged. "Spencer knows me, but you don't."

"You got rid of Cassie." Victoria assumed.

"No, Diana did. It was easy enough to convince her that Cassie was stealing. All I had to do was sneak in, take some stuff and Diana would automatically assume Cassie was doing it. As soon as you were gone, boom. Cassie's gone and I'm here. I had to get rid of her permanently, of course." Lindsey replied.

Victoria's mouth dried. Diana closed her eyes. Victoria swallowed the lump in her throat. "Why are you doing this? What did Spencer ever do to you?"

Lindsey snorted. "He's the reason the woman I love is in prison. It's only fair that he experiences prison."

Victoria glanced at Lindsey's gun. She needed to get it away. Maybe she could overpower Lindsey. Would it be safer to fight or go along with the delusion? If Spencer had recognized Lindsey, he would be trying to contact the team. But when would he manage that? At the very least, Victoria wanted the gun pointed at her rather than at Diana. She moved a step forward.

Lindsey pointed the gun at Victoria. "Don't move. Don't move or I'll kill you both. Less climatic, but still horrifying for Spencer to discover, don't you think?"

Victoria swallowed. She met Diana's gaze, who merely stared back with tears in her eyes and her mouth agape. Lindsey pulled something out of her jacket pocket. "Say goodnight."

Before Victoria could react, Lindsey sprayed something in Victoria's face. Victoria scrunched up her face and tried not to breathe, but it was too late. Whatever Lindsey had sprayed Victoria with, it turned her vision dark almost instantly. She was aware of herself collapsing and then nothing.

When she awoke, it felt like seconds later. Victoria looked around, her heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her vision was blurry and flashed in and out of focus whenever she looked around, like a camera adjusting to the light setting. Diana was gone, as far as Victoria could tell. Her heart raced. She tried to push herself up, but her body was too heavy. She could hear her breath in her ears. They rang as the floor vibrated with the clunk of someone's feet. She felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders. The person rolled Victoria over.

Lindsey stood over Victoria, grinning. "Be a good girl and come with me, okay? It's time to go."

Victoria frowned. Her face felt slack. "D-Diana…"

"If you want to see her, you have to come with me." Lindsey stepped over Victoria and hauled her to her feet. Victoria's head spun. She felt as if it weighed an extra thirty pounds. Lindsey held Victoria's hand as she led her out of her apartment and to Lindsey's car.

Lindsey opened the trunk. Victoria swayed on her feet as she stared at Diana, bound and gagged in the trunk. "Get in." Lindsey ordered.

Victoria hesitated. Her instincts told her to go along with what Lindsey said, but everything in her screamed to run away. But in her drugged state, she barely trusted herself to run three feet. And she couldn't leave Diana.

Victoria clambered into the trunk. She flinched at a ripping sound. She realized Lindsey was tearing off strips of duct tape. Lindsey taped Victoria's ankles together. Then Lindsey grabbed Victoria's hands and forced them together, as if she were praying. Lindsey taped Victoria's wrists together and then placed a strip over Victoria's mouth.

Victoria stared blearily up at Lindsey, who beamed. "He'll never see this coming." She slammed the trunk shut, plunging Victoria and Diana into darkness.

 **…**

 **Okay, I pumped this out quickly because I was so excited for the new episodes and I'm finally out of the angst-ridden chapters and in the action! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys enjoyed it, too.**

 **Lindsey has Victoria and Diana… Spencer is going to be a mess, poor baby.**

 **Please review!**


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